Impact of ‘Having a Son’ on Women’s Intra-household Status: Evidence from India
Abstract
Intra-household bargaining power differs between men and women for various reasons, primarily due to
unequal social norms and differences in income. Patriarchal societies often put higher values to son(s) due
to perceived higher utility gains from them compared to daughter(s). In such societies, child-bearing and
childcare are considered to be women‟s primary responsibility, thus, women's fertility outputs can play an
important role in their intra-household bargaining status. Using the National Family and Health Survey
(2015) data on Indian couples, this paper examines the son-effect on women's say in different decision-
making in the family. The probit estimations show that women with at least a son are 2 - 4 percent more
likely (significantly) to have a say in different decisions compared to women with no son. Women with first
born son have around 1 percent higher probability of having say in decisions compared to women with first
born daughter.
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