Three Essays on Gender in South Asia

This dissertation explores distinct facets of the association between social institutions and family formation, as it pertains to women in South Asia. In Chapter II, I analyze an increase in the legal age of marriage for women in India and find the policy led to a permanent decrease in teen marriage, despite a lack of widespread enforcement. In communities where the national policy represents a tightening of standards over current norms, the law can benefit young women. In Chapter III, I find that decreases in income lead to increases in crimes in the name of honor. The results indicate that honor killings, primarily believed to be culturally or religiously motivated, are partially explained by shocks to income--short periods of economic distress can increase the risk of violence against vulnerable members of the population. Finally, in Chapter IV, I provide evidence for co-dependencies in fertility behavior in joint household residences. The results highlight the existence of fertility rivalry as a means to improve social status.2023-08-2