IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jintdv/v34y2022i1p29-54.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gender gap in schooling: Is there a role for health insurance?

Author

Listed:
  • Manini Ojha

Abstract

Sudden health shocks may be devastating if their consequences are transferred to human capital formation of children, especially in families that are unable to access affordable healthcare. As such, access to health insurance may play a role in determining schooling decisions. I examine the impact of India's national health insurance scheme (RSBY) on gender differences in school enrolments in this paper. Employing difference‐in‐differences and triple differences approaches, I find that RSBY reduces the gender gap in school enrolments. Therefore, while RSBY was implemented with the aim of reducing financial burden for the poor, I find evidence that it has unintended positive consequences for girls in particular.

Suggested Citation

  • Manini Ojha, 2022. "Gender gap in schooling: Is there a role for health insurance?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(1), pages 29-54, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:34:y:2022:i:1:p:29-54
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.3580
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3580
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/jid.3580?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter J. Glick & David E. Sahn & Thomas F. Walker, 2016. "Household Shocks and Education Investments in Madagascar," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 78(6), pages 792-813, December.
    2. Janet Currie & Jonathan Gruber, 1996. "Health Insurance Eligibility, Utilization of Medical Care, and Child Health," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 111(2), pages 431-466.
    3. Jean Drèze & Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, 2001. "School Participation in Rural India," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 1-24, February.
    4. Peter Hangoma & Arild Aakvik & Bjarne Robberstad, 2018. "Health Shocks and Household Welfare in Zambia: An Assessment of Changing Risk," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 790-817, July.
    5. Fabre, Alice & Pallage, Stéphane, 2015. "Child labor, idiosyncratic shocks, and social policy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 394-411.
    6. Hanan G. Jacoby & Emmanuel Skoufias, 1997. "Risk, Financial Markets, and Human Capital in a Developing Country," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 64(3), pages 311-335.
    7. Hazarika, Gautam & Sarangi, Sudipta, 2008. "Household Access to Microcredit and Child Work in Rural Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 843-859, May.
    8. Bratti, Massimiliano & Mendola, Mariapia, 2014. "Parental health and child schooling," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 94-108.
    9. Sarmistha Pal, 2004. "How Much of the Gender Difference in Child School Enrolment Can Be Explained? Evidence from Rural India," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 133-158, April.
    10. Hazarika, Gautam & Guha-Khasnobis, Basudeb, 2008. "Household Access to Microcredit and Children's Food Security in Rural Malawi: A Gender Perspective," IZA Discussion Papers 3793, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Chen, Yuyu & Jin, Ginger Zhe, 2012. "Does health insurance coverage lead to better health and educational outcomes? Evidence from rural China," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 1-14.
    12. Skoufias, Emmanuel, 1993. "Labor market opportunities and intrafamily time allocation in rural households in South Asia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 277-310, April.
    13. Liu, Hong & Zhao, Zhong, 2014. "Does health insurance matter? Evidence from China’s urban resident basic medical insurance," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 1007-1020.
    14. Robert Chambers & Deepa Narayan & Meera K. Shah & Patti Petesch, 2000. "Voices of the Poor : Crying Out for Change," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13848.
    15. Shelley Clark, 2000. "Son preference and sex composition of children: Evidence from india," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 37(1), pages 95-108, February.
    16. Arindam Nandi & Ashvin Ashok & Ramanan Laxminarayan, 2013. "The Socioeconomic and Institutional Determinants of Participation in India’s Health Insurance Scheme for the Poor," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(6), pages 1-13, June.
    17. Janet Currie & Mark Stabile & Phongsack Manivong & Leslie L. Roos, 2010. "Child Health and Young Adult Outcomes," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 45(3).
    18. Sun, Ang & Yao, Yang, 2010. "Health shocks and children's school attainments in rural China," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 375-382, June.
    19. Ahmed Shoukry Rashad & Mesbah Fathy Sharaf & Elhussien Ibrahim Mansour, 2019. "Does Public Health Insurance Increase Maternal Health Care Utilization in Egypt?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(6), pages 516-520, August.
    20. Janet Currie, 2009. "Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: Socioeconomic Status, Poor Health in Childhood, and Human Capital Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(1), pages 87-122, March.
    21. Silvia Helena Barcellos & Leandro S. Carvalho & Adriana Lleras-Muney, 2014. "Child Gender and Parental Investments in India: Are Boys and Girls Treated Differently?," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 6(1), pages 157-189, January.
    22. Duraisamy, P., 1992. "Gender, Intrafamily Allocation of Resources and Child Schooling in South India," Papers 667, Yale - Economic Growth Center.
    23. Bhalotra, Sonia & Rawlings, Samantha B., 2011. "Intergenerational persistence in health in developing countries: The penalty of gender inequality?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(3-4), pages 286-299, April.
    24. Sonia Bhalotra & Cliff Attfield, 1998. "Intrahousehold resource allocation in rural Pakistan: a semiparametric analysis," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(5), pages 463-480.
    25. Harold Alderman & Jere R. Behrman & David R. Ross & Richard Sabot, 1996. "Decomposing the Gender Gap in Cognitive Skills in a Poor Rural Economy," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 31(1), pages 229-254.
    26. Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2015. "Control Function Methods in Applied Econometrics," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 50(2), pages 420-445.
    27. Wagstaff, Adam & Lindelow, Magnus & Jun, Gao & Ling, Xu & Juncheng, Qian, 2009. "Extending health insurance to the rural population: An impact evaluation of China's new cooperative medical scheme," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 1-19, January.
    28. Alderman, Harold & King, Elizabeth M., 1998. "Gender differences in parental investment in education," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 453-468, December.
    29. Paul Schultz, T., 2002. "Why Governments Should Invest More to Educate Girls," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 207-225, February.
    30. Erlend Berg & Maitreesh Ghatak & R Manjula & D Rajasekhar & Sanchari Roy, 2011. "Implementing Health Insurance For The Poor: The Rollout Of Rsby In Karnataka," STICERD - Economic Organisation and Public Policy Discussion Papers Series 025, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE.
    31. Azam, Mehtabul, 2018. "Does Social Health Insurance Reduce Financial Burden? Panel Data Evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 1-17.
    32. Deborah LEVISON & Jasper HOEK & David LAM & Suzanne DURYEA, 2007. "Intermittent child employment and its implications for estimates of child labour," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 146(3-4), pages 217-251, September.
    33. Christopher F Baum, 2013. "Implementing new econometric tools in Stata," Mexican Stata Users' Group Meetings 2013 09, Stata Users Group.
    34. Anup Karan & Sakthivel Selvaraj & Ajay Mahal, 2014. "Moving to Universal Coverage? Trends in the Burden of Out-Of-Pocket Payments for Health Care across Social Groups in India, 1999–2000 to 2011–12," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-13, August.
    35. Song, Lina & Appleton, Simon & Knight, John, 2006. "Why Do Girls in Rural China Have Lower School Enrollment?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(9), pages 1639-1653, September.
    36. Duryea, Suzanne & Lam, David & Levison, Deborah, 2007. "Effects of economic shocks on children's employment and schooling in Brazil," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 188-214, September.
    37. Katz, Elizabeth G., 1995. "Gender and trade within the household: Observations from rural guatemala," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 327-342, February.
    38. Ravi, Shamika & Bergkvist, Soft, 2015. "Are Publicly Financed Health Insurance Schemes Working in India?," India Policy Forum, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 11(1), pages 158-192.
    39. Krishna, Anirudh, 2004. "Escaping Poverty and Becoming Poor: Who Gains, Who Loses, and Why?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 121-136, January.
    40. Behrman, Jere R & Knowles, James C, 1999. "Household Income and Child Schooling in Vietnam," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 13(2), pages 211-256, May.
    41. Andrew Dillon, 2013. "Child Labour and Schooling Responses to Production and Health Shocks in Northern Mali-super- †," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 22(2), pages 276-299, March.
    42. Kingdon, Geeta Gandhi, 2005. "Where Has All the Bias Gone? Detecting Gender Bias in the Intrahousehold Allocation of Educational Expenditure," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(2), pages 409-451, January.
    43. Beegle, Kathleen & Dehejia, Rajeev H. & Gatti, Roberta, 2006. "Child labor and agricultural shocks," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 80-96, October.
    44. Rosenzweig, Mark R & Schultz, T Paul, 1982. "Market Opportunities, Genetic Endowments, and Intrafamily Resource Distribution: Child Survival in Rural India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(4), pages 803-815, September.
    45. Behrman, Jere R, 1996. "The Impact of Health and Nutrition on Education," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 11(1), pages 23-37, February.
    46. Alam, Shamma Adeeb, 2015. "Parental health shocks, child labor and educational outcomes: Evidence from Tanzania," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 161-175.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rashid Javed & Mazhar Mughal, 2022. "Changing patterns of son preference and fertility in Pakistan," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(6), pages 1086-1109, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lim, Sung Soo, 2020. "Parental chronic illness and child education: Evidence from children in Indonesia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    2. Alam, Shamma Adeeb, 2015. "Parental health shocks, child labor and educational outcomes: Evidence from Tanzania," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 161-175.
    3. Bratti, Massimiliano & Mendola, Mariapia, 2014. "Parental health and child schooling," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 94-108.
    4. Saing, Chan Hang & Cannonier, Colin, 2017. "Arsenic Exposure and School Participation in Cambodia," GLO Discussion Paper Series 95, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Massimiliano Bratti & Mendola, M., 2013. "GINI DP 63: Parental Health and Child Schooling!," GINI Discussion Papers 63, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    6. Jacob, Arun, 2016. "Gender Bias in Educational Attainment in India : The Role of Dowry Payments," MPRA Paper 76338, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Krisztina Kis-Katos, 2012. "Gender differences in work-schooling decisions in rural North India," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 491-519, December.
    8. Edmonds, Eric V., 2008. "Child Labor," Handbook of Development Economics, in: T. Paul Schultz & John A. Strauss (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 57, pages 3607-3709, Elsevier.
    9. Asadul Islam & Chongwoo Choe, 2013. "Child Labor And Schooling Responses To Access To Microcredit In Rural Bangladesh," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 51(1), pages 46-61, January.
    10. Jean-Marie Baland & Timothée Demont & Rohini Somanathan, 2020. "Child Labor and Schooling Decisions among Self-Help Group Members in Rural India," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 69(1), pages 73-105.
    11. O'Donnell, Owen, 2024. "Health and health system effects on poverty: A narrative review of global evidence," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    12. Heather Congdon Fors, 2012. "Child Labour: A Review Of Recent Theory And Evidence With Policy Implications," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 570-593, September.
    13. Phuong Huu Khiem & Yu-Chen Kuo, 2022. "Health insurance reform impact on children’s educational attainment: evidence from Vietnam," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1255-1285, December.
    14. repec:eee:labchp:v:3:y:1999:i:pb:p:2859-2939 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Sasiwooth Wongmonta, 2023. "The Impact of Parental Health Shocks on Child Schooling and Labor: Evidence from Thailand," PIER Discussion Papers 209, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    16. Behrman, Jere R., 1999. "Schooling in Asia: Selected microevidence on determinants, effects, and policy implications," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 147-194.
    17. Dhanaraj, Sowmya, 2016. "Effects of parental health shocks on children’s schooling: Evidence from Andhra Pradesh, India," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 115-125.
    18. Susmita Baulia, 2018. "Is household shock a boon or bane to the utilisation of preventive healthcare for children? Evidence from Uganda," Discussion Papers 121, Aboa Centre for Economics.
    19. Sowmya Dhanaraj, 2015. "Health shocks and the intergenerational transmission of inequality: Evidence from Andhra Pradesh, India," WIDER Working Paper Series 004, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Maitra, Pushkar & Pal, Sarmistha & Sharma, Anurag, 2011. "Reforms, Growth and Persistence of Gender Gap: Recent Evidence from Private School Enrolment in India," IZA Discussion Papers 6135, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    21. Anaka Aiyar & Naveen Sunder, 2024. "Health insurance and child mortality: Evidence from India," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 870-893, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:34:y:2022:i:1:p:29-54. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5102/home .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.