PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Biswas, Nabaneeta
AU  - Cornwell, Christopher
AU  - Zimmermann, Laura V.
TI  - The Power of Lakshmi
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.1021-11963R2
DP  - 2025 Jul 01
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 1253--1283
VI  - 60
IP  - 4
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/60/4/1253.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/60/4/1253.full
AB  - Worldwide, 1.6 million girls are “missing” at birth every year. One policy tool to improve the sex ratio is a conditional cash transfer that pays parents to invest in daughters, but existing evidence on their effectiveness is sparse. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we evaluate the Dhanlakshmi scheme, an Indian CCT program that strongly encouraged girl births without restricting fertility. Dhanlakshmi improved the sex ratio at birth, with only a small fertility increase. The girl-birth effect was concentrated among the first two parities and partially persisted after the program was discontinued. Post-birth outcomes like immunization and education also improved.