This dissertation examines the effects of maternity leave policies on the labour force participation of women, on the work trajectories of mothers, and on fertility outcomes, in the context of low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Based on economic theory, the research first identifies the pathways through which maternity leave policy may affect behaviour and outcomes. Theory predicts that maternity leave has both positive and negative influences on women's work trajectories. Predictions, however, are ambiguous about whether the net effect of these forces is positive, negative or neutral. On the other hand, maternity leave may also have unintended consequences on fertility. The dissertation explores how the context of LMICs may affect the pathways through which maternity leave policy affects work and fertility. It adds to the literature by providing new empirical evidence on the causal effect of maternity leave policies on work and fertility in LMICs using quasi-experimental methods. The first empirical chapter examines the effect of the duration of paid maternity leave on female labour force participation. It exploits a series of reforms to the policy that took place in Colombia in 1991, 2011 and 2017. The second empirical chapter assesses the effect of extending the duration of paid maternity leave in Colombia in 2011 on the post-childbirth employment of beneficiary mothers. It uses unique administrative records of cohorts of parents that were eligible to maternity leave before and after the reform. It is the first study of mothers’ post-childbirth employment to be conducted in LMICs. The third empirical chapter examines whether increasing the duration of paid maternity leave increases fertility in LMICs. It exploits cross-country variation over time in the duration of paid maternity leave, combined with individual level responses from household surveys, in 30 LMICs in the period 1995-2013. It is the first cross-country study of maternity leave and fertility in LMICs that uses individual level data. The three studies rely on the difference-in-differences method for identifying the causal effects of policy reforms. The studies justify the selection of the control group and assess the plausibility of the identifying assumptions. The first study finds that extending the duration of paid maternity leave from 14 to 18 weeks increases female labour force participation by between 2.8 and 3.6 percent. The second study finds that, as a consequence of extending the duration of paid leave from 12 to 14 weeks, mothers choose to stay longer at home after childbirth, but their subsequent work trajectory is not affected. The third study finds no evidence that increasing the duration of paid maternity leave influences fertility in LMICs. This dissertation contributes to understanding the impact of maternity leave on work and fertility in LMICs. It conceptualizes the ways in which the context of these countries may influence the responses of women to the policy and examines those responses empirically. Findings are relevant for policy makers in LMICs for two reasons. First, they have greater external validity for other LMICs, compared to the findings from previous studies which have mostly focused on high-income countries (HICs). Second, the theory predicts positive and negative influences of the policy on female work trajectories but remains ambiguous regarding the net effect. The dissertation examines separately all the positive and negative influences of maternity leave on the outcomes and produces evidence on their effect.
The effect of maternity leave on female work and fertility in low- and middle- income countries
Guerrero Carvajal, R. (Author). 1 Apr 2020
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy