The Economic Benefits of Male Adulthood: Evidence from Rural Burundi

Abstract

What are the benefits that a man generates to his household just for the sake of being a man? Using regression discontinuity design, we estimate the impact of the presence of an adult male in female headed households in rural Burundi. We compare households with a young adult male---who enjoys the privileges of an adult man---with households with a teenage male around the 18 years-old mark---who is not yet considered an adult. We show that the presence of an adult male increases income, asset value and children's years of education. The mechanisms for these results appear to be increased participation in labour and credit markets, and increased access to assets. We provide evidence of how gender norms constraint economic development in an agricultural economy with a high degree of gender inequality.

Keywords: Gender Inequality, Gender Gap, Developing Countries, Burundi

JEL Classification: J16, I30, O13, O15