RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Intergenerational Effects of Marital Transfers
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 1022-12589R1
DO 10.3368/jhr.1022-12589R1
A1 Bhat, Bilal Ahmad
A1 Thakur, Sounak
YR 2024
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2024/05/01/jhr.1022-12589R1.abstract
AB We study the intergenerational effects of marital transfers in India. We use exogenous variation in dowry amounts induced by stronger anti-dowry laws introduced in 1985. The new legal regime reduced dowries substantially and increased domestic violence against women. We find that children born to mothers exposed to the reform have a 0.24 standard deviation lower height-for-age 𝒵-score and about 0.41 fewer years of completed schooling. These results are plausibly driven by lower maternal autonomy, increased domestic violence against mothers and lower household wealth on account of reduced dowries.