Hi-Tech Sexism? Evidence from Bangladesh

Abstract

With the advent of modern technology for fetal sex determination, selective abortion is found to be responsible for a significant number of “missing women” in countries like China and India. Using a competing risk hazard model, we investigate whether son preference translates into selective abortion and accounts for any of the “missing women” in Bangladesh. Data suggest that son preference leads to shorter birth intervals if previous births are girls. For example, if the first birth is a girl, the odds of having another child each quarter is about 15% higher and the birth interval is about 2 months shorter for more educated urban women in recent years (1990–2011). However, there is no evidence that selective abortion contributes to missing women in Bangladesh.

Keywords: son preference, selective abortion, gender inequality, missing women, Bangladesh

JEL Classification: C41, J16, O10