Female Education in One Generation and the Timing of Marriage and Childbearing in the Next

In the rural part of our country, traditionally early marriage and early childbearing persist. Here, decisions about age at marriage are often made by parents and mothers-in-law tend to have significant influence in rushing the initiation of childbearing. In rural Bangladesh, there is a significant relationship between female education in one generation and the timing of marriage and childbearing in the next. This means that daughters of women with more education are not married off early. In the same way, daughters-in-law of more educated women do not bear child at a faster rate.

This study analyzes data from a survey in six villages in rural Bangladesh, in order to test the hypothesis that daughters of women with more education marry later and that daughters-in-law of more educated women initiate childbearing at a slower rate. It found significant associations between the educational level of mothers and the age at marriage of their daughters and between the educational level of mothers-in-law and the timing of first birth among their daughters-in-law. It also found that these associations do not appear to be mediated by the senior women’s level of empowerment.

Reference:

Bates, L. M., Maselko, J., & Schuler, S. R. (2007). Women’s education and the timing of marriage and childbearing in the next generation: evidence from rural Bangladesh. Studies in Family Planning, 101-112.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20454394?seq=1#fndtn-references_tab_contents