Topic Defence Seminar on "Essays on Gender, Intra-Household Dynamics and Welfare"

​This dissertation studies gender, intra-household dynamics and welfare. The study of intra-household dynamics is a difficult process as it deals with some form of bargaining and subsequent placement of authority which happen behind closed doors and depends on socio-cultural norms. However, due to its effect on the implementation of public policies, researchers and policy makers have ventured on the difficult journey to understand what happens within the household. It is considered crucial for the allocation of household members' time, money and other resources. It has also been attributed to individual and household welfare outcomes such as infant feeding practices, food and non-food expenditure, child health and nutritional status, child educational attainment, contraceptive use, female labor market participation, savings and investment decision, and technology adoption. A large number of these studies focus on households with two decision-makers usually, a husband and his wife. But in many countries there are different types of households including polygamous households. Surprisingly, there are a few studies that examine the dynamics and resource allocation in such households. We will contribute to the literature by theoretically examining the gendered power relations in polygamous and monogamous households. We also hope to empirically investigate how polygamy affects child outcomes such as health and educational attainment.