Women’s Economic Empowerment and Intimate Partner Violence
Journal of Public Economics, 2024
Selected media: Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet, Sydsvenskan, Dagens Juridik, ETC, Svenska YLE, Dagens Nyheter, Feministiskt Perspektiv, Forskning.se, P4 Malmöhus
Abstract: This study explores the relationship between women’s economic empowerment and intimate partner violence (IPV), measured as women’s hospital visits for assault. Using longitudinal Swedish administrative data, I proxy women’s economic empowerment with a measure of potential relative earnings of married spouses caused by local changes in gender-specific labour demand. The findings reveal that an increase in potential relative earnings increases the probability of women’s hospital visits for injuries caused by assault, and the effect is particularly pronounced for women with low baseline bargaining power. Furthermore, exploiting detailed information on type of hospital visit, diagnosis and medical actions taken at the hospital, I show that the increase in hospital visits for assault is, at least in part, driven by an increase in care-seeking for IPV-related injuries rather than an increase in IPV itself.
Cultural Norms and Neighborhood Exposure: Impacts on the Gender Gap in Math
Journal of Human Resources, 2024
Abstract: This paper investigates the interaction between cultural norms and neighborhood characteristics, in the context of the gender gap in math. Using high-quality Swedish administrative data, I estimate the effect of mothers’ country-of-origin gender norms on the gender gap in math among second-generation immigrant siblings, and exploit a refugee placement policy to obtain random variation in regional characteristics. I find that the sibling gender gap in math increases with cultural gender norms, such that girls with mothers from more gender-traditional cultures perform worse compared to their brothers, but that local labor market gender equality can completely mitigate this cultural norm effect.
Preschool Attendance, Schooling, and Cognitive Skills in East Africa
Economics of Education Review, 2019 (with Jan Bietenbeck and Fredrick M. Wamalwa)
Related material: publisher's version, online appendix
Abstract: We study the effects of preschool attendance on children’s schooling and cognitive skills in Kenya and Tanzania. We use a within-household estima- tor and data from nationally representative surveys of school-age children’s literacy and numeracy skills, which include retrospective information on preschool attendance. In both countries, school entry rules are not strictly enforced, and children who attend preschool often start primary school late. At ages 7-9, these children have thus attended fewer school grades than their same-aged peers without pre-primary education. However, they catch up over time: at ages 13-16, children who went to preschool have attended about the same number of school grades and score about 0.10 standard deviations higher on standardized tests in both countries. They are also 3 (5) percentage points more likely to achieve basic literacy and numeracy in Kenya (Tanzania).
Kvinnors ekonomiska förutsättningar och våld i nära relationer
SNS Analys nr. 66, 2020
Lanseringswebinarium: Webbinarium
Media: Dagens Arena
Våldsamt ojämlika: kvinnlig egenmakt och våld i nära relationer
Ekonomisk Debatt, 2019
Motherhood and Domestic Violence: A Longitudinal Study Using PopulationWide Administrative Data (joint with Nuria Rodríguez-Planas)
IZA Working Paper No. 17129, 2024 (Submitted)
Abstract: While previous research suggests motherhood increases women’s risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), our analysis reveals a different and more nuanced pattern. Using rich population-wide hospital records data from Sweden, we conduct a stacked difference-in-difference analysis comparing the paths of women two years before and after their first childbirth with same-age women who give birth several quarters later. Contrary to existing literature, we find that pregnancy and motherhood lead to a sharp decline in hospital visits for assault. This reduction comprises both temporary and lasting components. The short-term decline partially reflects behavioural adaptations during pregnancy and early motherhood that reduce exposure to non-partner assault. The persistent decline, however, is primarily driven by reductions in both confirmed and suspected IPV, particularly among women with previous risk factors and those who subsequently separate from their partners. Interestingly, we also observe two distinct patterns in IPV reporting. On the one hand, confirmed IPV reporting increases before partner separation. On the other, there is a notable decline in suspected IPV following birth, particularly among less severe incidents. The latter pattern suggests that some women may avoid seeking hospital care to circumvent IPV reporting. These findings challenge conventional wisdom about motherhood's relationship with IPV risk - and suggest that pregnancy and early motherhood may serve as critical intervention points for preventing violence and supporting women's safety.
The Impact of PhD Studies on Mental Health-A Longitudinal Population Study (joint with Clara Fernström, Eva Ranehill and Anna Sandberg)
SSRN Working paper No. 4920527, 2024 (R&R In Journal of Health Economics)
Selected media: Nature, Forbes, Internazionale, Demografica, Sky, El Espanol, Thepaper.cn, Sohu, Lundagård, ZME Science
Selected social media: X (2.6mn views, 2.4k reposts, 9.1k likes, 138 comments), Weixin, (63.1k reposts, 2.7k likes, 192 comments)
Abstract: Recent self-reported and cross-sectional survey evidence documents high levels of mental health problems among PhD students. We study the impact of PhD studies on mental health care uptake using Swedish administrative records of prescriptions for psychiatric medication for the full population of PhD students. First, we provide descriptive evidence that PhD students collect psychiatric medication at a higher rate than a matched sample of individuals holding a master's degree, but at a lower rate than a matched sample from the general population. Second, we implement an event study analysis and document that, in the years preceding their PhD studies, prospective students collect psychiatric medication at a rate similar to that of a matched sample of individuals holding a master's degree. However, following the start of PhD studies, the use of psychiatric medication among PhD students increases substantially. This upward trend continues throughout the course of PhD studies, with estimates showing a 40 percent increase by the fifth year compared to pre-PhD levels. After the fifth year, which represents the average duration of PhD studies in our sample, we observe a notable decrease in the utilization of psychiatric medication.
Educational choice, social preferences, and the gender wage gap (joint with Pol Campos-Mercade, Eva Ranehill, Florian Schneider, and Erik Wengström)
Impacts and Predictors of Extended Paternity Leave (joint with Ariel Pihl)
The differential impact of occupations on mental health: A population wide study (joint with Karin Hederos, Eva Ranehill och Anna Sandberg)