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on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | Pedro de Araujo (Indiana University Bloomington) |
| Abstract: | Using data from the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS-3), this paper analyzes the socioeconomic correlates of sexual behavior, HIV/AIDS knowledge and stigma in India. The main findings are that, overall, the Indian population is faithful and abstains from sex with very small variations across socioeconomic classes. However, given the large size of the population, there is still room for some concern as condom use is low, knowledge about the disease is poor, and stigma is high; especially with respect to less educated, poorer, single males and women in general. Obvious policy recommendations are; therefore, to increase condom distribution and awareness, increase very heavily HIV/AIDS basic education, and promote women empowerment with respect to sexual choices. |
| Keywords: | HIV/AIDS, Condom, Stigma, India |
| JEL: | C13 C25 O53 |
| Date: | 2008–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:inu:caeprp:2008-019&r=cwa |
| By: | Francavilla, Francesca (University of Florence); Giannelli, Gianna Claudia (University of Florence); Grilli, Leonardo (University of Florence) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the determinants of school attendance of children and their mother’s working status when the mother decides how to allocate her time and that of her children. A multilevel random effects model is applied to study the mother’s participation and the schooling status of her children in a joint framework. Using the second National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2) for India, we find that, controlling for many covariates among which wealth is the most powerful predictor, children of working mothers have a lower probability of attending school. This, together with the result that only illiterate and poor mothers with unskilled or unemployed partners have a high probability of working, points to the need for decent labour market opportunities for females. An implication of our findings is that any policy aiming both at enhancing women’s empowerment through labour and increasing children’s welfare should also target improvements in women’s conditions in the labour market. |
| Keywords: | household allocation of time, women's work, children's schooling, random effects, India |
| JEL: | J13 J22 O15 O18 |
| Date: | 2008–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3531&r=cwa |
| By: | Lekha S. Chakraborty |
| Abstract: | This paper presents new evidence on the links between public-infrastructure provisioning and time allocation related to the water sector in India. An analysis of time-use data reveals that worsening public infrastructure affects market work, with evident gender differentials. The results also suggest that access to public infrastructure can lead to substitution effects in time allocation between unpaid work and market work. The broad conclusion of the paper is that public-investment policy can redress intrahousehold inequalities, in terms of labor-supply decisions, by supporting initiatives that reduce the allocation of time in nonmarket work. |
| Date: | 2008–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lev:wrkpap:wp_536&r=cwa |
| By: | Purnamita Dasgupta (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Rela); Shikha Gupta (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Rela) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates certain macro data on the Indian economy to draw inferenceson the sustainability of the economic growth experienced over the last couple ofdecades. Interpreting sustainability in terms of the maintenance of different forms ofcapital to ensure that future consumption levels are at least as high as current levels,estimates of investment have been made using theoretically consistent models anddata relevant to the Indian context. Subsequently, the paper investigates the extent towhich the investment that has taken place over a thirty year period (from 1976-77 to2004-05) has been aligned with the consumption path. Investment estimates are foundto be a reliable indicator of sustainability of the future consumption path and averagefuture consumption is likely to be higher than current consumption. The findingsreveal that while capital formation in manufactured assets has been fuelling wealthaccumulation in the economy, there has been a rise in the degradation of natural capital stocks. However, considering the aggregate picture, taking note of investmentin human capital, produced capital and the depreciation of natural capital, there hasbeen net wealth accumulation in the economy. Per capita wealth has been rising overthe period, with a sharp rise observed from the mid 1990s onwards. |
| Keywords: | Sustainable Development, Investment, Future Consumption, Per Capita Wealth, Human and Natural capital |
| JEL: | Q56 O11 |
| Date: | 2008–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ind:icrier:214&r=cwa |
| By: | Betcherman, Gordon (World Bank); Daysal, N. Meltem (University of Maryland); Pagés, Carmen (Inter-American Development Bank) |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the effects on registered employment, earnings, and number of registered establishments of two employment subsidy schemes in Turkey. We implement a difference-in-differences methodology to construct appropriate counterfactuals for the covered provinces. Our findings suggest that both subsidy programs did lead to significant net increases in registered jobs in eligible provinces (5%-13% for the first program and 11%-15% for the second). However, the cost of the actual job creation was high because of substantial deadweight losses, particularly for the first program (47% and 78%). Because of better design features, the second subsidy program had lower, though still significant, deadweight losses (23%-44%). Although constrained by data availability, the evidence suggests that the dominant effect of subsidies was to increase social security registration of firms and workers rather than boosting total employment and economic activity. This supports the hypothesis that in countries with weak enforcement institutions, high labor taxes on low-wage workers may lead to substantial incentives for firms and workers to operate informally. |
| Keywords: | employment subsidies, deadweight loss, formalization, social security contribution |
| JEL: | H32 J23 J32 |
| Date: | 2008–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3508&r=cwa |
| By: | Fabiosa, Jacinto F. |
| Abstract: | This study characterizes the household food-away-from-home (FAFH) expenditure pattern in Egypt. Specifically, a standard Tobit model was estimated to quantify the responsiveness of Egyptian household FAFH expenditures to changes in their income and selected household demographic characteristics. We found that the proportion of households with a positive FAFH expenditure is small, at 36% to 38% of the total number of households. These households spent 5% to 8% of their total expenditure on FAFH. Households that are located in urban areas, with more family members, and whose household head is young and male had generally higher levels of FAFH expenditure. The estimated conditional income elasticity is only 0.02, and the unconditional income elasticity is 0.52, suggesting that most of the growth in this sector will be driven by new households participating for the first time in FAFH expenditures. These elasticity estimates are relatively low when compared to those of other countries. However, preliminary estimates from more recent data seem to suggest a higher income elasticity, which is consistent with the expansion of the sector of hotels, restaurants, and other institutions in Egypt. |
| Keywords: | conditional and unconditional elasticity, demand, Egypt, food away from home, HRI (hotels, restaurants, and other institutions). |
| Date: | 2008–07–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:isu:genres:12962&r=cwa |