1. The changing path to adulthood for girls in sub-Saharan Africa over the last 20 years
Jane Mariara, Andy McKay, Andy Newell and Cinzia Rienzo
Presented by:
Andy McKay, University of Sussex

2. Introduction
Youth employment a world wide challenge, especially pressing in sub-Saharan Africa
Educational attendance has increased significantly over recent decades
Though questions about quality
Despite this most young people end up working in household activities or informal wage work
School to work transition a key challenge

3. Introduction (2)
Issues likely to be especially pressing for young girls
May be less educated
May have less access to better jobs
But issue of potential early marriage and childbirth another important element of school to work transition for young women

4. Introduction (3)
This paper part of a project studying school to work transition for young women in six sub-Saharan African countries
Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Funded by IDRC Canada, as part of their research programme on Growth Opportunities for Women
Studies in each country; here a cross country study

5. The issues
Fundamental two way causality between age of leaving school and work
Three way when considering childbirth (or marriage) in the case of girls
Some studies have tried to tackle this, using duration modelling based on
an exogenous intervention
Heath and Mobarek 2015: garments in Bangladesh
or good quality data, including on exclusion restrictions:
Marchetta and Sahn, 2016, Senegal

6. The issues (2)
Here we seek to do a comparative study between our six countries
Focus on differences between countries, females and males, and changes over time
Using data from Demographic and Health Surveys: available on multiple waves in all countries
A necessarily non-causal analysis
Seek to do more causal studies at country level as part of project

7. Demographic and Health Survey data
Same core questionnaire (mostly) in each country and over time
Enables comparability, unlike household surveys
Surveys focus on young women of childbearing age, their households and some young men of similar ages
Good source on fertility, marriage etc.
Plus general information on educational attainment, and some information on work

8. Demographic and Health Survey data (2)
Focus early and late survey in each country, and on year olds
Two educational outcomes for year olds
Having some secondary education
Literacy test: ability to read full sentence
And two work outcomes for year olds
Having a white collar job (generally best job)
Working in agriculture (own/wage; open to all)

9. Demographic and Health Survey data (3)
And consider a range of correlates
Individual: age, marital status
Household: size, presence of children, gender of head, household wealth (an index)
Location (as a control)

10. Basic characteristics of young girls(mostly)
Majority of 15/16 year olds in school everywhere except Burkina; but the majority of 18 year olds only in Kenya
Many girls married by 18, majority by 20 in 4 countries
Husbands significantly older on average
Married women almost never still in school
Literacy rates low, female < male, but both increasing over time; but almost universal for those (few) in white collar jobs

11. Basic characteristics of young girls (mostly)

12. Gender and time differences
Pool male and female data for early and late surveys for each country and regress outcomes on gender dummy, dummy for later year, interaction (D in D), age and geographic controls

13. Results for education Literacy increases over time everywhere
Men more literate in base year everywhere, but gap eliminated by final year in 4 cases
Similar results for secondary education

14. Results for work k
Very few young people have white collar jobs and little increase over time
More men have WC jobs in base (except Kenya) but gap not generally eliminated (except Tanzania) by final year
More men work in agriculture in base; gender differential eliminated by later year in 2 and reduced in 2 others

15. Looking at correlates of outcomes
Looked at correlates of four outcomes, as function of wealth, household composition, marital status, plus age and geographic controls
Selected results presented here but reasonably representative
Household wealth a very strong +ve correlate of all educational and work outcomes
But sometimes this is parental household, sometimes new household

17. Correlates of outcomes (2)
Worse educational outcomes and less good jobs for married women – not men
Though often positive wealth-marriage impact for women
Worse outcomes for women -- not men -- when children in household
Usually worse educational and work outcomes for women only in mae headed households
Wealth has a bigger positive effect for married women

18. Some tentative conclusions
Improvements over time in most outcomes; reduced gender gaps in education only
Very few white collar jobs: female or male
Wealth definitely matters – esp. married women
Marriage, children and having a male head have a much bigger limiting impact on women than men: education and work
Early marriage of women and leaving school early go together: need to understand reasons for this

19. Thank you very much!

20. Some reserve slides