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More dads at home, more girls in maths-intensive studies? Evidence from a parental leave reform

Mikkelsen, Sara LU and Peter, Noemi (2024) In Economica 91(364). p.1201-1221
Abstract

Evidence suggests that separate spheres gender norms discourage girls from maths. We therefore examine a policy that counteracts such norms among parents, and investigate whether it increases girls' participation in maths-intensive studies. Specifically, we examine a parental leave reform that reserved one month of leave for fathers, and estimate its effect on children's study choices. We find that the reform increases the probability of doing a maths-intensive programme in upper secondary education among girls whose father was otherwise reluctant to take leave. There is no effect on boys. We also conduct heterogeneity analyses to investigate whether the results can be explained by human capital transmission or the gender norms... (More)

Evidence suggests that separate spheres gender norms discourage girls from maths. We therefore examine a policy that counteracts such norms among parents, and investigate whether it increases girls' participation in maths-intensive studies. Specifically, we examine a parental leave reform that reserved one month of leave for fathers, and estimate its effect on children's study choices. We find that the reform increases the probability of doing a maths-intensive programme in upper secondary education among girls whose father was otherwise reluctant to take leave. There is no effect on boys. We also conduct heterogeneity analyses to investigate whether the results can be explained by human capital transmission or the gender norms mechanism. The results of our analyses suggest that the gender norms mechanism is at play.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Economica
volume
91
issue
364
pages
21 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85198081363
ISSN
0013-0427
DOI
10.1111/ecca.12547
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7f1d4edc-2d5a-4c38-8235-ffdc60eff2ef
date added to LUP
2024-11-28 12:12:03
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:23:25
@article{7f1d4edc-2d5a-4c38-8235-ffdc60eff2ef,
  abstract     = {{<p>Evidence suggests that separate spheres gender norms discourage girls from maths. We therefore examine a policy that counteracts such norms among parents, and investigate whether it increases girls' participation in maths-intensive studies. Specifically, we examine a parental leave reform that reserved one month of leave for fathers, and estimate its effect on children's study choices. We find that the reform increases the probability of doing a maths-intensive programme in upper secondary education among girls whose father was otherwise reluctant to take leave. There is no effect on boys. We also conduct heterogeneity analyses to investigate whether the results can be explained by human capital transmission or the gender norms mechanism. The results of our analyses suggest that the gender norms mechanism is at play.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mikkelsen, Sara and Peter, Noemi}},
  issn         = {{0013-0427}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{364}},
  pages        = {{1201--1221}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Economica}},
  title        = {{More dads at home, more girls in maths-intensive studies? Evidence from a parental leave reform}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecca.12547}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/ecca.12547}},
  volume       = {{91}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}