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.

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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While a growing literature documents the negative impact of motherhood on the career trajectory of women, specific mechanisms behind the "decision" to leave the labor market remain largely undocumented. Our paper fills this gap by showing that career breaks due to health-related issues restricts young mothers from full labor force participation. Using Belgian administrative data from 2002-2016 and an event study design, we reveal that the gender gap in sickness absence only appears after the birth of a first child. Surprisingly, this child penalty does not disappear over the long run and even up to eight years after childbirth a 1.2 percentage points gap remains between the probabilities of women and men to stop working because of health-related issues. When connecting sickness absence to the overall child penalty in employment, we find that 17% of women who leave the labor market after having children go on to claim sickness benefits.

We evaluate the effects of a Supported Employment (SE) program aimed at Disability Insurance (DI) recipients with mental conditions. The program is characterized by a "work-first" approach, which includes intensive job coaching and follow-along support. Using a Randomized Control Trial with more than 660 participants over a follow-up period of 18 months, we compare the benefits of this newly introduced program to regular vocational rehabilitation services traditionally used in Belgium. We find that SE increases the probability that DI recipients with mental conditions work while on claim and reduces their reliance on DI benefits. Specifically, we estimate that 18 months after the start of their return-to-work program, participants in the SE group are 9.5 percentage points more likely to be working, and receive 6% less in DI benefits than those in the control group. The effects of SE remain substantial, even for participants who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cost-benefit analysis reveals that spending on SE could be compensated in less than two years by savings in DI benefits.

Research in collaboration with the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV)