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Abstract

This paper studies the combined effect of marriage and gender wage discrimination on female education and labour market participation. Given wage discrimination, marriage increases the proportion of time women spend in housework, biasing their education downwards. The bias is not just relative to men, but also relative to single women and is discontinuous in the gender wage gap. Furthermore, consensual marriages might restrict female labour force participation and education more than non-consensual ones and a proportionate increase in male and female wages could further restrict them. The latter prediction is consistent with the U-shaped relationship found in the empirical literature between female labour force participation and economic growth.

Publication Type:	Monograph (Discussion Paper)
Additional Information:	© 2008 the author
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Departments:	School of Policy & Global Affairs > Economics > Discussion Paper Series

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