Allocation of children's time along gender lines: Work, school, and domestic work in Brazil

Abstract

We develop a model that characterizes all possible allocations of children's time between work and school, analyzing the relationship between market work, household chores, and Brazilian children's school enrollment. If pure market work is analyzed, we find that girls are less likely to work and more likely to exclusively attend relative to boys with similar characteristics. If the definition of work includes household chores, girls are less likely to be exclusively in school and more likely to work compared to boys. The results reveal that girls disproportionately carry out domestic responsibilities, which could hinder their school achievements. Furthermore, family structures with fewer preschool-aged siblings and with more adults present alleviate the pressure to displace girls’ time away from school and toward domestic activities.

Citation

Kruger, D.I., Berthelon, M. and Soares, R.R. (2010), "Allocation of children's time along gender lines: Work, school, and domestic work in Brazil", Akee, R.K.Q., Edmonds, E.V. and Tatsiramos, K. (Ed.) Child Labor and the Transition between School and Work (Research in Labor Economics, Vol. 31), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 161-192. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0147-9121(2010)0000031009