4. Population Growth: The Missing Women

Question 1

Population growth slows down when a country…

Answer 1

…becomes richer.

Question 2

Define Demographic Transition.

Answer 2

A shift from a stabilized global population with high birth and high mortality rates to a stabilized population characterized by low birth and low mortality rates. Both instances lead to low population growth.

Question 3

What four factors affect fertility?

Answer 3

• Macroeconomic condition - rising GDP per capita, urbanization and industrialization.
• Family planning service or policies.
• Provision of healthcare so that the child mortality rates drop.
• Greater opportunity of education and employment for women.

Question 4

Name some reasons why higher education for women many lead to low fertility rates.

Answer 4

• Earning a higher incomes means a higher opportunity cost when having children.
• Providing children with a higher quality education is more costly.
• More receptive to information about contraception.
• More delay in marriage due to further education or career means shorter fertility time period.
• More independent choices through more bargaining power.

Question 5

What are the missing women?

Answer 5

The shortfall in the number of women relative to the expected number of women in a region or country.This can be measured through male-to-femalesex ratios.
Most importantly, a missing woman is a woman who should be alive and is not.

Question 6

In developing countries, what are the two main reasons why boys are preferred to girls?

Answer 6

1. (Agricultural) productivity.

2. Cultural aspects/preference - girls move out after marriage.

Question 7

In developing countries, what two main effects arise from preferring boys to girls?

Answer 7

1. Parents may take better care of their sons by investing more money into their education and providing more care.
2. Female infanticide.

Question 8

True or False?
According to Deaton (1989), consumption in adult goods increases when a female is born, and decreases when a male is born.

Answer 8

False.

There is a general reduction in the consumption of adult goods when a male or female is born.

Question 9

True or False?
According to Deaton (1989), when having a son aged between 0 and 2, alcohol consumption decreased by -0.50, however with a daughter of that same age, consumption decreased by -0.07.

Answer 9

True.

Question 10

What are the five effects associated with a higher female income and child outcomes?

Answer 10

1. An increase in the wife’s share of income is associated with an increase in the share of expenditures on food and a decrease in the share of expenditures on alcohol and cigarettes.
2. Higher female income is associated with a better nutritional status of children and a higher share of spending on children’s clothing.
3. Maternal income increases family nutrition (both calorie intake and protein intake) by 4 to 7 times more than income of men.
4. Child health outcomes improve for mothers who end up working in manufacturing sectors.
5. Credit provided to women leads to higher household consumption expenditures and to more schooling for girls, while credit provided to men does not have a significant effect on the same variables.

Question 11

Women have a higher __________ power in their household as a result of increased education and income.

Answer 11

Bargaining.