Economics ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 8-1-2023

Abstract

First essay: This paper studies the impact of Nepal’s 1996-2006 Maoist insurgency on the nutritional status of children. We employ the difference-in-difference (DID) model. The proxy for conflict intensity is killings per thousand population (KPT). The finding of our study is that a marginal increase in KPT decreases the height-for-age (HAZ) of the children by 0.0844. The loss in child health was statistically not significant in both non-poor and poor households. Therefore, the impact of the insurgency on child health is largely driven by the negative effect of the insurgency on Janajaties, irrespective of their economic status.

Second essay: This paper studies the impact of the earthquake on the education of rural children. Our study uses a difference-in-differences (DiD) approach. We find that after a year of the earthquake, there is a decrease in the educational outcome of the children. Female children from 16 years old cohort are 23.4 percent less likely to complete secondary school. The earthquake has decreased the likelihood of completing secondary school among the 16 years cohort children from poor households by 17.9 percent and by 28.4 percent in poor 16 years cohort female children.

Third essay: This paper studies the impact of Maoist insurgency on girls’ child marriage in Nepal. We use the difference-in-differences (DID) method to estimate the impact of insurgency. Our finding infers that the insurgency decreased the probability of child marriage among the women of age cohorts 15-20 years old. A marginal increase in KPT decreases the probability of child marriage by 3.66 and 4.16 percent among 18 years old and 19 years old age cohorts, respectively. This decrease in child marriage due to insurgency was stronger in non-poor households and urban areas. The decrease in child marriage due to insurgency was experienced by Brahmin and Chettri, Indigenous nationalities, and Dalits.

Degree Name

Economics

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Department of Economics

First Committee Member (Chair)

Professor Kira M. Villa

Second Committee Member

Professor Matias Fontenla

Third Committee Member

Professor Xiaoxue Li

Fourth Committee Member

Professor Bruce Wydick

Language

English

Keywords

child, nutrition, health, education, maoist, indigenous, Nepal, marriage, insurgency, earthquake

Document Type

Dissertation

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Included in

Economics Commons

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