Impact of ‘Having a Son’ on Women’s Intra-household Status: Evidence from India

Abstract

Intra-household bargaining power differs between men and women for various reasons, primarily due to unequal social norms and differences in income. Patriarchal societies often put higher values to son(s) due to perceived higher utility gains from them compared to daughter(s). In such societies, child-bearing and childcare are considered to be women‟s primary responsibility, thus, women's fertility outputs can play an important role in their intra-household bargaining status. Using the National Family and Health Survey

(2015) data on Indian couples, this paper examines the son-effect on women's say in different decision- making in the family. The probit estimations show that women with at least a son are 2 - 4 percent more

likely (significantly) to have a say in different decisions compared to women with no son. Women with first born son have around 1 percent higher probability of having say in decisions compared to women with first born daughter.