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Is it safe? Threat of sexual violence and women’s decision to work

Despite significant improvements in women's educational attainment and reduced fertility rates, India’s female labour force participation (FLFP) remains among the lowest globally. Using nationally r...

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Does a fear of violence affect female labour supply in India?

Working-age women in developing-country labour markets might be particularly sensitive to media reports on sudden incidents of violence against women, which can deter them from going out to work. Usin...

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Perceived risk of street harassment and college choice of women in Delhi

In New Delhi, 95% of women aged 16-49 report feeling unsafe in public spaces. This article shows that in order to feel safer, women in the capital city choose lower quality colleges, travel for a long...

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Decisions and dynamics: Unpacking the impact of contraceptive decisions on domestic violence

Women’s empowerment in the form of intra-household bargaining power, employment, and education have been documented to both reduce and increase the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV). Usi...

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Why firms should appoint ‘networked’ women directors

India has introduced regulations mandating companies to appoint woman directors on their boards, to improve gender balance at the top. In this context, this article traces the evolution of women-direc...

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Affirmative action in credit markets: Can it enhance minorities’ welfare?

In 2009, as part of a Government of India programme to improve the welfare of religious minorities, commercial banks were directed to increase credit to these groups. This article finds that the polic...

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Analysing gender bias in school textbooks in India

If we want girls’ education to help build gender equality, a basic first step is ensuring we are not giving children sexist textbooks. This article analyses gender bias in school textbooks in India ...

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Paternalistic discrimination against women in the labour market

Women in many low-income countries are often excluded from the labour market. This article proposes a new explanation in the form of paternalistic discrimination – the preferential hiring of men to ...

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Harnessing machine learning to combat domestic violence in India

One in three women globally will endure a form of domestic abuse in their lifetimes – with the prevalence being even higher in South Asian countries such as India. Given the complexity of identifyin...

  • Perspectives

Beneath the colours: Unveiling Holi's impact on violence against women

While social norms are considered important to the issue of violence against women (VAW), there is little research on how norms impact VAW in public places. Analysing police data from Bihar, this arti...

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Can conversations about minorities reduce discrimination? Evidence from anti-transgender discrimination in Chennai

Discriminatory behaviour is known to adversely impact equity and efficiency in a range of economic and social domains. In the context of discrimination against transgender people in urban Chennai, thi...

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Forced male sterilisation and violence against women: Evidence from ‘Emergency India’

During 1975-1977, the Government of India introduced a programme involving forced sterilisation of men, in order to achieve population control as a poverty alleviation measure. Leveraging the varying ...

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Soil characteristics, women’s workforce participation and intra-household consumption distribution

When women’s participation in agriculture increases relative to men, does the intra-household distribution of consumption become more gender-equitable? Is there a positive impact on children’s acc...

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How social norms hold women back: A look at recent evidence

In light of India’s low female labour force participation rate, as a follow up to International Women’s Day, I4I Deputy Managing Editor Nikita Mujumdar highlights a selection of economic research ...

  • Perspectives

Should girls be ‘controlled’? Opinions among young boys and parents in Bihar

The practice of child marriage among girls continues to be common in Bihar. In this note, Priyadarshini, Joshi and Bhattacharya present findings from their survey of boys and parents, wherein they con...

  • Notes from the Field

Recent Contributors

Manini

Manini Ojha

Jindal School of Government and Public Policy

Karan

Karan Babbar

Jindal Global Business School

Shreya

Shreya Biswas

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Ekta

Ekta Selarka

Madras School of Economics

Jayati

Jayati Sarkar

Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research

S. K.

S. K. Ritadhi

Ashoka University

Muhammad

Muhammad Yasir Khan

University of Pittsburg

Radhika

Radhika Nagesh

Center for Global Development

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Most Popular Social Identity Posts

Hindu-Muslim fertility differentials in India: An update

Building on past research, Saswata Ghosh and Pallabi Das estimate the state- and district-level fertility differentials between Hindus and Muslims using data from the latest round of the NFHS. They sh...

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A division of labourers: Caste identity and efficiency in India

Castes in India are closely associated with certain occupations and determine the jobs done by millions. This study uses a new dataset to show that a large proportion of workers still work in their ca...

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Sex ratios and religion in India and South Asia

In South Asia, low child sex ratios are increasingly an isolated Indian phenomenon. Within India, child sex ratios are ‘normal’ among Christians and Muslims but much lower among Hindus, Sikhs, and...

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