TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Vasishth, Mahima
        TI  - Employment Booms and Infant Health: Evidence from the Ready-Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh
        PY  - 2024/Jun/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 17106
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp17106
        AB  - In this paper, I estimate the inter-generational health impact of maternal employment opportunities using evidence from the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh. This industry was exposed to a trade liberalization policy in 2005, which generated spatial and temporal variation in the establishment of garment factories and therefore, potential employment opportunities for women. Using a difference-in-difference strategy, I find that the expansion of this sector improved the probability of neonatal survival for children who are born in areas that experience higher growth in employment opportunities post trade liberalization. This is driven by the improved labor market participation by mothers, enabling them to delay childbirth and improve their intra-household bargaining power.
        KW  - neonatal mortality
KW  - female labor force participation
KW  - ready-made garment sector
        ER  -