The Effects of Expanding Female Economic Opportunities on Fertility: Causal Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial in Bangladesh

Shamma Alam, Dickinson College
Claus C. Portner, Seattle University

There has lately been a push to expand economic opportunities for women in lowand middle-income countries, but we know little about the effects on fertility. Prior studies suffer from the standard endogeneity problem that women more interested in making use of economic opportunities might also have different fertility preferences. To overcome this problem, we examine how the “Targeting the Ultra Poor” program of BRAC in Bangladesh, which specifically targets women in ultra-poor households, affects fertility. The program provides both income-generating assets and livelihood training to women in ultra-poor households. Our preliminary findings suggest an increase in fertility from the transfer. The largest increase in fertility occurs for women who are late twenties to early thirties, while younger women show less of an increase. We cannot directly establish whether the increase reflects shorter spacing or higher desired fertility, although there is also evidence that children work more as a result of the program. These results are consistent with women extending childbearing while not significantly changing the start of childbearing or the spacing between births.

Keywords: Fertility, Economic Demography, Population and Development, Families, Unions and Households

See extended abstract.