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Leveling the Intra-household Playing Field: Compensation and Specialization in Child Labor Allocation

Author

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  • V. Del Carpio, Ximena

    (The World Bank)

  • Macours, Karen

    (Johns Hopkins University)

Abstract

This paper analyzes changes in the allocation of child labor within the household in reaction to exogenous shocks created by a social program in Nicaragua. The paper shows that households that randomly received a conditional cash transfer compensated for some of the intra-household differences, as they reduced child labor more for older boys who used to work more and for boys who were further behind in school. The results also show that households that randomly received a productive investment grant, in addition to the basic conditional cash transfer benefits, both targeted at women, show an increased specialization of older girls in nonagricultural and domestic work, but no overall increase in girls' child labor. The findings suggest that time allocation and specialization patterns in child labor within the household are important factors to understand the impact of a social program.

Suggested Citation

  • V. Del Carpio, Ximena & Macours, Karen, 2009. "Leveling the Intra-household Playing Field: Compensation and Specialization in Child Labor Allocation," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4822, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4822
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Rafael Novella & Laura Ripani & Claudia Vazquez, 2021. "Conditional cash transfers, female bargaining power and parental labour supply," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 422-436, March.
    2. Jacobus de Hoop & Furio C. Rosati, 2014. "Cash Transfers and Child Labor," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 202-234.
    3. Del Carpio, Ximena V. & Loayza, Norman V., 2012. "The impact of wealth on the amount and quality of child labor," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5959, The World Bank.
    4. Jacobus Hoop & Patrick Premand & Furio Rosati & Renos Vakis, 2018. "Women’s economic capacity and children’s human capital accumulation," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 31(2), pages 453-481, April.
    5. Laura Camfield, 2014. "Growing Up in Ethiopia and Andhra Pradesh: The Impact of Social Protection Schemes on Girls’ Roles and Responsibilities," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 26(1), pages 107-123, January.
    6. Margherita Scarlato & Giorgio d'Agostino, 2019. "Cash Transfers, Labor Supply, and Gender Inequality: Evidence from South Africa," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(4), pages 159-184, October.
    7. Diether W. Beuermann, 2011. "Information and Communication Technologies, Agricultural Profitability, and Child Labor in Rural Peru," OVE Working Papers 0211, Inter-American Development Bank, Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE).
    8. Rafael Novella & Laura Ripani & Guillermo Cruces & Maria Laura Alzuá, 2012. "Conditional Cash Transfers, Female Bargaining Power and Parental Labour Supply," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 78223, Inter-American Development Bank.
    9. Del Carpio, Ximena V. & Loayza, Norman V. & Wada, Tomoko, 2016. "The Impact of Conditional Cash Transfers on the Amount and Type of Child Labor," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 33-47.
    10. Alejandro J. Ganimian & Richard J. Murnane, 2014. "Improving Educational Outcomes in Developing Countries: Lessons from Rigorous Impact Evaluations," NBER Working Papers 20284, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Richard Akresh & Eric V. Edmonds, 2011. "Residential Rivalry and Constraints on the Availability of Child Labor," NBER Working Papers 17165, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Stella Luz A. Quimbo & Joseph J. Capuno & Aleli D. Kraft & Rhea Molato & Carlos Tan, Jr., 2015. "Where does the money go? Assessing the expenditure and income effects of the Philippines' Conditional Cash Transfer Program," UP School of Economics Discussion Papers 201502, University of the Philippines School of Economics.
    13. Juan M. Villa, 2018. "The continuous treatment effect of an antipoverty program on children's educational attainment: Colombia's Familias en Accion," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 1239-1262, August.
    14. Diether W. Beuermann, 2015. "Information and Communications Technology, Agricultural Profitability and Child Labor in Rural Peru," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(4), pages 988-1005, November.
    15. Stella A. Quimbo & Aleli D. Kraft & Rhea M. Molato‐Gayares & Carlos Antonio R. Tan & Joseph J. Capuno, 2021. "How do the intended and unintended beneficiaries respond to the Philippines' conditional cash transfer program?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 1267-1292, August.
    16. Independent Evaluation Group, 2014. "Social Safety Nets and Gender : Learning from Impact Evaluations and World Bank Projects," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 21365.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Child labor; intra-household; human capital; impact evaluation; gender;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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