Master’s Thesis from Wuhan University: Fertility and Domestic Violence: An Economic Study between China and India

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Basic Information

Author
Jingyuan Yang (杨景媛)

Student ID
2021201050035

Advisor
Rufei Guo (Associate Professor)

Discipline & Major
Theoretical Economics & World Economy

Research Focus
Regional and Country Economics

Completion Date
May, 2024

Abstract

According to a survey by the World Health Organization, nearly 35% of women worldwide have experienced domestic violence. Economic literature on domestic violence has primarily focused on analyzing the impact of factors such as employment, income, and education level on domestic violence. This thesis pioneers the investigation of the effect of fertility on domestic violence. Based on a cooperative game model between spouses, this thesis finds that fertility increases the rental value of cooperation equilibrium between spouses and reduces the wife’s outside options value, leading to more domestic violence by the husband. To test this theory, the thesis conducts two-way fixed-effects regressions based on microdata from the Chinese Women’s Status Survey and the the National Family and Health Survey of India. The findings reveal that an increase in fertility significantly leads to higher rates of domestic violence in both China and India. Additionally, this impact is more pronounced in rural areas of China, while in India, the urban influence outweighs the rural influence. Over time, the influence of fertility on domestic violence decreases, and the urban-rural disparity in China diminishes. However, in India, the decline in high caste levels is significantly faster.

To further identify the causal effect of fertility on domestic violence, this thesis constructs pseudo-panel data based on microdata from the Chinese Women’s Status Survey and the National Family and Health Survey of India. By employing an event study approach, the findings reveal that women experience more domestic violence after giving birth to children. Specifically, there is no significant increase in the rate of domestic violence in the first and second years after childbirth, but there is a noticeable increase in the third and fourth years, and this effect can persist until the seventh year and beyond, especially in rural areas.

Furthermore, this thesis examines the economic mechanism through which fertility influences domestic violence. Based on the theoretical model, fertility mainly leads to more domestic violence by reducing the external options value of women. To test this theoretical mechanism, the thesis estimates the magnitude of the decrease in women’s probability of employment after fertility, known as the “Child Penalty” in the labor market, to measure the decline in the outside options value of women after childbirth. The thesis calculates the intensity of the Child Penalty in different regions of China and India and finds that in regions with higher Child Penalties, fertility leads to more domestic violence, a result that holds true in both China and India.

In addition, this thesis discusses the role of factors such as Chinese cultural background and the Indian caste system. It is found that in regions where traditional culture prevails in China, the influence of fertility on domestic violence is greater, while in regions with strong clan cultures, the gender of children has a significant impact on whether domestic violence occurs. Meanwhile, in India, fertility leads to a significant decrease in the domestic violence rate among high-caste groups. This thesis explores for the first time the role of fertility in increasing domestic violence through its impact on women’s labor force participation rates. By focusing on the impact of the motherhood penalty on domestic violence and emphasizing the importance of fertility support, this thesis contributes to better governance of domestic violence issues and improves women’s reproductive welfare.

Keywords: Fertility; Domestic Violence; Outside Option; Social Norm