Gender Discrimination in Education Expenditure in Nepal: Evidence from Living Standards Surveys

Abstract

There is a significant amount of literature on the role of parental gender preferences in determining the level of education expenditure for children. In this study, I examine the effects of such preferences on parents’ education expenditure in Nepal. Using longitudinal data from three Nepal Living Standards Surveys, I apply several decomposition methods to determine the level of bias that parents display in spending on their children's education. I find that parents indeed spend more on boys than girls in both rural and urban areas in Nepal. I also find that this bias is reflected in the higher enrollment levels of boys than girls in private schools.

Keywords

• decomposition
• education expenditure
• gender discrimination
• household decisions
• Nepal Living Standards Surveys