Female Entrepreneurial Choices, Fertility & Child Health in the Context of Demographic Realities: A Comparative Analysis in Pakistan, India & Bangladesh
This study examines how fertility choices and rigid work schedules shape women's employment decisions in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, where patriarchal norms confine mothers to caregiving roles, limiting economic participation. Rising childcare demands push working mothers to either quit the workforce or seek flexible work arrangements like self-employment, which may potentially benefit child development through increased caregiving. However, evidence on causal relationships in this region remains scarce. The study aims to: (i) establish causality between fertility and self-employment, examining whether fertility drives women toward self-employment, self-employment influences fertility choices, or if causality runs in both directions; (ii) assess the causal effect of maternal self-employment on under-5 children’s health outcomes, exploring whether its flexibility offsets caregiving constraints of formal jobs; and (iii) analyse maternal agricultural versus non-agricultural employment’s impact on child health inputs (ages 0-3), identifying women’s empowerment as a potential mechanism. I use multiple rounds of pooled Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), covering millions of women and children, along with Labour Force Surveys (LFS/PLFS), the Economic Census, and data from microfinance institutions (Kashf Foundation, Grameen Bank, SEWA), from 2015-2019. To establish causal relationships and address endogeneity, I employ a mix of advanced econometric techniques, including two-distinctive IVs in a 2SRI-multinomial-logit model that allows testing bidirectional causation, IV-2SLS approach, and propensity-score-matching (PSM) and causal mediation analyses, while controlling for parental, individual, household, and regional characteristics. By generating robust causal evidence, this research aims to inform policies that economically empower women, improve child well-being, and promote inclusive sustainable growth across South Asia.