Strengthening Economic Rights and Women’s Occupational Choice: The Impact of Reforming Ethiopia’s Family Law

B-Tier
Journal: World Development
Year: 2015
Volume: 70
Issue: C
Pages: 260-273

Authors (2)

Hallward-Driemeier, Mary (World Bank Group) Gajigo, Ousman (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of strengthening legal rights on the types of economic opportunities pursued. Ethiopia changed its family law, expanding wives’ access to marital property and removing restrictions to working outside the home. This reform was initially rolled out in the two chartered cities and three of Ethiopia’s nine regions, allowing for a difference-in-difference estimation of the reform’s impact. The analysis finds that women were significantly more likely to work in occupations that require work outside the home, employ more educated workers, and in paid and full-time jobs where the reform had been enacted.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:wdevel:v:70:y:2015:i:c:p:260-273
Journal Field
Development
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25