Women’s Education: Harbinger of Another Spring? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Turkey

Type Journal Article - World Development
Title Women’s Education: Harbinger of Another Spring? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Turkey
Author(s)
Volume 64
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2014
Page numbers 243-258
URL http://www.econ-jobs.com/research/37291-Womens-Education-Harbinger-of-Another-Spring-Evidence-from-a​-Natural-Experiment-in-Turkey.pdf
Abstract
We use Turkey’s 1997 Education Law that increased compulsory schooling from 5 to 8 years to study the effect of education on women’s fertility and empowerment. Using an instrumental variables methodology, we find that a 10 percentage-point increase in the proportion of ever-married women with eight-years of schooling lowered pregnancies by 0.13 per woman; increased the proportion paying an antenatal-visit during the first trimester by 6 percentage points; using contraceptives by eight points and with knowledge of the ovulation cycle by five points. There is weak evidence that schooling decreased child mortality; no evidence that it changed attitudes toward gender inequality.

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