RESEARCH
RESEARCH
"Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment Rates for Women: Insights from a Developing Country"
This project uses quarterly data from the Pakistan Standard of Living Measurement Survey for the years 2018 through 2020 to look at the impact of COVID-19 induced school lockdowns and social distancing measures on the male-female gap in employment rates based on the presence of school-aged children within their household. The analysis makes use of a difference-in-difference and event study model to estimate the gap in male-female employment rates. The results indicate that employment rates declined more sharply for women with no kids compared to men during the months following the introduction of social distancing and lock-down measures in Pakistan. This suggests that these women took on the duty of being a caregiver to school aged children belonging to their relatives while the shutdown policies were in place. The finding reflects different care-giving expectations in developing countries which traditionally place the childcare burdens on women present in the household who have no children of their own as opposed to the case in developed countries such as the United States where mothers provided care to their children during COVID-19.
"Routine Childhood Vaccination Disparities in Pakistan: Discrimination or Socioeconomic Barriers?"
This project investigates low rates of childhood vaccinations in Pakistan that have resulted in outbreaks of diseases considered eradicated in other countries. The study focuses on urban–rural differences and their determinants in childhood vaccination rates. Utilizing data from the 2019 Pakistan Standard of Living Measurement Survey, Blinder–Oaxaca decompositions and linear probability models, the study reveals significant healthcare disparities driven by access to digital technology, lack of housing resources and differing levels of female empowerment. Factors such as access to digital technology and female household headship enhance vaccine uptake, while vaccines requiring multiple doses see lower completion rates. These insights underscore the need for policy interventions focusing on digital accessibility, housing infrastructure and female empowerment in rural areas to diminish vaccination gaps, enhance child health, and align with global immunization objectives.
"Assessing Health Behavior Assimilation Among Immigrants: A Comparative Analysis with Native Populations"
This project examines how women’s intrahousehold bargaining power affects long-term child health outcomes, using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from Pakistan (2018). It focuses on four key dimensions: earning potential, decision-making authority, mobility, and control over child healthcare decisions. The analysis models height-for-age and weight-for-age z-scores as dependent variables, following an approach similar to Schmidt (2022). By investigating how maternal agency shapes child well-being, this study underscores the importance of empowering women in policy interventions aimed at improving child health and development in low- and middle-income country settings.