Research

Abstract: I study the impacts of raising the age of sexual consent, a legal framework designed to safeguard children from the risks associated with early sexual activity and exploitation. Using data from 20 Sub-Saharan African countries and an event study design, I find that increasing the age of consent significantly reduces sexual activity, pregnancy, and marriage among girls under the legal threshold, with effects persisting beyond the age of consent. These reductions are driven by behavioral adaptations, including temporary increases in contraceptive use, followed by sustained declines in sexual activity and a decrease in out-of-wedlock pregnancies linked to reductions in underage marriage. For boys, the reform leads to a reduction in sexual activity, but the effect is not persistent as they age. Notably, the law does not affect the rates of child sexual abuse, likely due to imperfect enforcement. I further argue that the gendered differences in the persistence of effects, along with heterogeneous responses to the laws, point to the role of legislation in reinforcing social norms surrounding children's sexuality.

 Presentations: SSE PhD Workshop (2024),  SUDSWEC Stockholm University (2024), ASWEDE Conference (2024), NPPS University of Copenhagen (2024, poster), Université Libre de Bruxelles (2025),  University of Essex Economics PhD Conference (2025), Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (2025, poster)

Abstract: This study explores the impact of Islamic institutions on female marriage market outcomes in Indonesia, using the natural experiment created by the 1960 Basic Agrarian Law. The law’s attempt to expropriate land, with exemptions for Islamic charitable trusts (waqf), led to an increase in waqf resources, strengthening grassroots Islamic institutions. By employing a difference-in-discontinuity design, the study finds that stronger Islamic institutions delay the female age of marriage, increase the bride price, and promote positive assortative matching. Contrary to common beliefs that Islam hinders gender equality, these institutions appear to enhance marriage market efficiency and support women’s empowerment. The findings suggest that community-led Islamic institutions could play a crucial role in delaying marriage age and improving educational outcomes for women, highlighting the potential for collaboration with religious institutions in policy efforts to combat child marriage and promote gender equality. 

Presentations: Misum Affiliate Conference (2023), ASWEDE Conference (2023)