The Influence of Orphanhood on Children’s Schooling and Labour: Evidence from Sub Saharan Africa

Understanding Children's Work Programme Working Paper

53 Pages Posted: 7 Mar 2011 Last revised: 13 Mar 2011

See all articles by Lorenzo Guarcello

Lorenzo Guarcello

International Labour Office

Scott Lyon

United Nations - UCW Programme

Furio C. Rosati

University of Rome Tor Vergata - Faculty of Economics

Cristina A. Valdivia

United Nations - UCW Programme

Date Written: October 2004

Abstract

This paper explores possible links between orphanhood and two important determinants of child vulnerability - child labour and schooling - using household survey data from 10 Sub Saharan Africa countries. It forms part of a broader, ongoing effort to improve policy responses to the orphan crisis and to child vulnerability generally. Marginal effects calculated after a bivariate probit indicate that becoming an orphan makes it generally less likely that a child has the opportunity to attend school and generally more likely that a child is exposed to work. The size and significance of these effects varies considerably across the 10 analysed countries, but in only one - Lesotho - does orphanhood appear to have no significant effect on either work involvement or school attendance. Double orphans appear to be especially vulnerable to schooling loss and work exposure in the analysed countries, underscoring the importance of the distinction between single and double orphans for policy purposes.

Keywords: child labour, orphans, orphanhood, Sub Saharan Africa, education

JEL Classification: J13, N37, I30, J20

Suggested Citation

Guarcello, Lorenzo and Lyon, Scott and Rosati, Furio C. and Valdivia, Cristina A., The Influence of Orphanhood on Children’s Schooling and Labour: Evidence from Sub Saharan Africa (October 2004). Understanding Children's Work Programme Working Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1780302 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1780302

Lorenzo Guarcello (Contact Author)

International Labour Office ( email )

BIT-Route des Morillons 4
1202 Genève
Switzerland

HOME PAGE: http://www.ilo.org

Scott Lyon

United Nations - UCW Programme ( email )

Furio C. Rosati

University of Rome Tor Vergata - Faculty of Economics ( email )

Via Columbia n.2
Rome, rome 00100
Italy
6 2020 500 (Fax)

Cristina A. Valdivia

United Nations - UCW Programme ( email )

ILO Office for Italy and San Marino
Via Panisperna 28
Rome, 00184
Italy

HOME PAGE: http://www.ucw-project.org

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
117
Abstract Views
1,142
Rank
427,869
PlumX Metrics