This paper on women’s labor market participation in rural India highlights the crucial role of socioeconomic context in shaping the impact of marriage and childbirth.
The paper analyzes women’s labor market trajectories from age 15 onward. It finds that marriage leads to a significant and sustained increase in women’s labor supply, particularly in informal agricultural work. This increase is more pronounced among women from poorer households and those with working mothers. Notably, childbirth does not negatively impact labor supply; this differs from findings in higher-income countries. The authors attribute these results to early marriage and motherhood, low levels of economic development, and the prevalence of informal employment.