Publication: Public Pre-Primary and Maternal Employment in Algeria: Evidence from a Natural Experiment
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Date
2023-08-14
ISSN
0258-6770 (print)
1564-698X (online)
1564-698X (online)
Published
2023-08-14
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Abstract
Globally, employment rates of women remain substantially below those of men. Since women disproportionately care for children, policies that offer care alternatives or lower the cost of care, should, theoretically, increase women’s employment. This paper tests whether public pre-primary education can increase women’s employment, using a natural experiment in Algeria. Education reforms in Algeria substantially expanded public preprimary, targeting children aged five. The paper uses data from 2006 (early in the expansion), 2012, and 2018 (after pre-primary had substantially expanded). The analyses use a discontinuity in whether children are eligible for pre-primary, based on their birthdates, to identify the effect of pre-primary on women’s employment. Increased pre-primary education did not increase and may have actually decreased women’s employment. One potential explanation for these findings is the half-day schedule of pre-primary may be difficult to reconcile with employment. Negative effects are concentrated among women living in nuclear families, who lack alternative caregivers.
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“Krafft, Caroline; Lassassi, Moundir. 2023. Public Pre-Primary and Maternal Employment in Algeria: Evidence from a Natural Experiment. World Bank Economic Review. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/41385 License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO.”
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World Bank Economic Review
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