Does having a first-born daughter reduce male violence against mothers in Peru?

Salas Peña C. · Desarrollo y Sociedad (2024) · DOI: 10.13043/dys.98.1

Resumen

This article examines the impact of having a first-born daughter on male violence against women in Peru. The sample consisted of mothers who had a first-born son compared to those with a first-born daughter. The identification strategy is based on the random variation of the sex of the first child. The estimation is performed using Ordinary Least Squares regression. It is found that women who had a first-born daughter, compared to those with a first-born son, had a 4.07% lower probability of experiencing severe violence from their partner. The likelihood of experiencing emotional and sexual violence was reduced by 1.97% and 5.94%, respectively. Finally, the mechanisms through which the first child’s sex influences violence indicators were validated, focusing on the desire for a male child effect and the divorce effect.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental