Sons as widowhood insurance: Evidence from Senegal
Journal article: Exploiting original data from a Senegalese household survey, we provide evidence that fertility choices are partly driven by women's needs for widowhood insurance. We use a duration model of birth intervals to show that women most at risk in case of widowhood intensify their fertility, shortening birth spacing, until they get a son. Insurance through sons might entail substantial health costs since short birth spacing raises maternal and infant mortality rates.
Author(s)
Sylvie Lambert, Pauline Rossi
Journal
- Journal of Development Economics
Date of publication
- 2016
Keywords
- Senegal
- Health
- Intra-household insurance
- Gender
- Fertility
Pages
- 113-127
URL of the HAL notice
Version
- 1
Volume
- 120