We examine how the provision of paternity leave can reduce the time mothers spend on disability insurance after childbirth. Using Belgian administrative data and a regression discontinuity difference-in-differences design around a reform from July 2002, we estimate that mothers with partners eligible for a two-week-long paternity leave spend on average 21% fewer days on disability over twelve years. We find suggestive evidence that paternity leave affects maternal long-run disability through (1) increased fathers’ involvement in child care, resulting in more child-free time for mothers; and (2) longer waiting time before having a second child.

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We investigate the impact of paternity leave policies on gender role attitudes in the next generation. We measure gender-stereotypical attitudes using an Implicit Association Test with 3,000 online respondents in six countries. Using an RD design, we observe a significant reduction (-0.20 SD) in gender-stereotypical attitudes among men born post-paternity leave implementation. This shift influences career choices, as men whose fathers were affected by the reform are more inclined to pursue counter-stereotypical jobs, particularly in high-skilled occupations like healthcare and education. Our findings highlight how paternity leave fosters egalitarian gender norms and affects the occupational choices of the next generation.

Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa is the highest in the world and it should continue boosting population growth for decades to come. In this paper, we showcase a new driver of fertility decisions that has been largely overlooked by demographers and economists: inheritance rules. In particular, we demonstrate that impartible inheritance (i.e. transmission of the deceased's property to a single heir) does not incentivize households to limit their number of children. Our main empirical strategy links data from the past on deep-rooted inheritance customs for more than 800 ethnic groups with modern demographic surveys covering 24 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our spatial Regression Discontinuity Design exploiting ancestral borders reveals that belonging to an ethnic group with impartible inheritance customs increases fertility by 0.85 children per woman. We also establish, both theoretically and empirically, that the fertility differences across inheritance rules are larger in lands that are less labor intensive.