Unbalanced Sex Ratios in Germany Caused by World War II and Their Effect on Fertility: A Life Cycle Perspective

Kesternich, Iris; Siflinger, Bettina; Smith, James P.; Steckenleiter, Carina

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3246999

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…In such circumstances, men are predicted to assign less value to family life, are less likely to commit to a single partner, and will avoid or delay marriage (e.g. Fossett & Kiecolt, 1990;Lloyd & South, 1996;Kesternich et al, 2020). Empirically, Abramitzky, Delavande & Vasconcelos (2011), for instance, show that male scarcity induced by World War II profoundly affected women's lives: they were less likely to marry.…”

Section: Demand For Young Bridesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The wedding bells of war: The influence of armed conflict on child marriages in West Africa

DiGiuseppe

Haer

2022

Journal of Peace Research

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Child marriage is a fundamental violation of human rights. It hinders progress towards development and public health goals. In this study, we argue that armed conflict plays an important role in the occurrence of child marriages; it influences the supply of and demand for young brides. We argue that in conflict settings, families are more willing to marry off their young daughters for protection. Armed conflict can also influence the demand: marriage in general declines due to an imbalance in sex ratio. However, in cases where belligerents use war tactics specifically focused on harming girls, such as sexual violence and girl recruitment, early marriage might increase as the result of armed conflict. To empirically examine these linkages, we combine the Demographic and Health Surveys of West Africa with information on the location of armed conflict. Our study shows that armed conflict generally reduces the occurrence of child marriage with 13% to 18%. However, we observe that when conflict actors use war tactics that specifically harm young girls there is a significant increase of 12% to 18% in the probability of a girl getting married before the age of 18. This research has important implications for our understanding of the relationship between armed conflict, gender inequality, and their impact on children.

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Section: Demand For Young Bridesmentioning

confidence: 99%