Abstract
This paper examines the impact of the empowerment of women in politics on child labor. The literature both on women in politics and on child labor lacks empirical evidence on the presence of the causality running from empowerment of women in politics to child labor. By using cross-sectional country observations and implementing an instrumental variable approach, the current study shows that an increase in the seat share of women in national parliament decreases child labor. In particular, a 1-percentage-point increase in the seat share of women in national parliament decreases child labor by 0.36 percentage points, being 0.54 percentage points for male child labor and 0.47 percentage points for female child labor. These results indicate that child labor is another issue where men and women politicians have different priorities and preferences.
Resume
Cet article étudie l’impact de la montée en puissance des femmes en politique sur le travail des enfants. La littérature sur les femmes en politique et sur le travail des enfants manque de preuves empiriques sur la présence d’un lien de causalité entre la montée en puissance des femmes en politique et le travail des enfants. En utilisant des observations longitudinales par pays et en appliquant la méthode des variables instrumentales, cette étude montre qu’une augmentation de la proportion des femmes siégeant au parlement national réduit le travail des enfants. En particulier, une augmentation d’un point de pourcentage du nombre de sièges des femmes au parlement national fait baisser le travail des enfants de 0,36 point de pourcentage : 0,54 point pour le travail des garçons et 0,47 point pour le travail des filles. Ces résultats indiquent que le travail des enfants est un autre sujet sur lequel les hommes et les femmes en politique ont des priorités et des préférences différentes.
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Appendix: List of Countries
Appendix: List of Countries
Algeria | Kenya | Turkey |
Armenia | Kyrgyz Republic | Uganda |
Bahrain | Lao PDR | Ukraine |
Bangladesh | Lesotho | Uruguay |
Benin | Liberia | Vietnam |
Bolivia | Malawi | Zambia |
Botswana | Mali | |
Brazil | Mexico | |
Burundi | Mongolia | |
Cameroon | Morocco | |
Colombia | Mozambique | |
Costa Rica | Myanmar | |
Dominican Republic | Nepal | |
Ecuador | Nicaragua | |
Gabon | Panama | |
Ghana | Paraguay | |
Guatemala | Peru | |
Guyana | Philippines | |
Haiti | Portugal | |
Honduras | Romania | |
India | Rwanda | |
Indonesia | Senegal | |
Iran | Sri Lanka | |
Jordan | Tajikistan | |
Kazakhstan | Thailand | |
Tunisia |
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Güvercin, D. Women in Politics and Child Labor: an Instrumental Variable Approach. Eur J Dev Res 32, 873–888 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-019-00243-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-019-00243-1