Agnes R. Quisumbing (International Food Policy Research Institute)
Thursday, May 12th 2011
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Conference Room 4B - 4th Floor
2033 K Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
** Brown Bag Format **
RSVP to B.Pereira@cgiar.org
Abstract: This paper examines asset dynamics for husband-owned, wife-owned, and jointly owned assets, using unique longitudinal survey data from rural Bangladesh. Non-parametric and parametric methods are used to examine the shape of the dynamic asset frontier, the number of equilibria, and whether land and non-land assets stock converge to such equilibria. The paper also investigates the differential impact of negative shocks and positive events on husbands’, wives’, and jointly-owned assets. Husbands’ and wives’ asset stocks are drawn down for different kinds of shocks, with husbands’ assets being liquidated in response to dowry and wedding expenses, and wives’ assets being negatively affected by illness shocks. Factors that affect husbands’ and wives’ ability to form social and familial networks also affect asset accumulation: wives with more brothers, and who live closer to their natal village, are better able to acquire assets. Put differently, factors that encourage the formation or maintenance of women’s social networks also reduce gender asset inequality. The paper concludes by drawing out implications for the design of gender-sensitive social protection mechanisms.
Agnes Quisumbing is a Senior Research Fellow at IFPRI. Her research interests include poverty, gender, property rights, and economic mobility. She received her Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from the University of the Philippines, Quezon City, and her A.B. in economics from De La Salle University in Manila. Before joining IFPRI, Quisumbing worked at the University of the Philippines, Diliman and Los Baños; the World Bank; Yale University; and the International Rice Research Institute.
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