Work

Women’s Work, Social Norms, and the Marriage Market

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We conduct an experiment to elicit preferences for partners on an online marriage market platform in India. We find that working women are 12.8% less likely to receive interest from male suitors. Additionally, women employed in “masculine” occupations are 3.3% less likely to elicit interest from suitors relative to those in “feminine” occupations. Men hailing from higher castes and northern India, where communities have more conservative gender-related preferences, are less likely to show interest in working women. Our results highlight the role of patriarchal gender attitudes in marital preferences and suggest that expectations regarding returns in the marriage market may influence women’s labor market choices.

Source: Economic Development and Cultural Change

DOI: 10.1086/735202

Authors: Farzana Afridi, Abhishek Arora, Diva Dhar, Kanika Mahajan

Institutions: Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi Centre, Indian Statistical Institute, Harvard University, University of Oxford, Ashoka University

Language: English

Topic: Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Decent work and economic growth, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W4407252440

FWCI: 14.83

Cites: 30

Cited by: 9

Related to: 10