Universal secondary education, schooling and women ’s empowerment: Evidence from Uganda
中文摘要
我们评估了乌干达2007年普及中等教育（USE）政策的长期影响。该政策通过免除学费和提高学校容纳能力，扩大了获得中等教育的机会。我们采用双重差分方法，利用出生队列及地区政策暴露度的差异，识别该政策对女性教育程度和赋权的因果影响。结果表明，在项目实施强度较高的地区，女性的教育和赋权均得到显著提升。我们还发现，女性的劳动力市场结果以及婚姻和生育结果有所改善，具体表现包括首次发生性行为、生育和同居的年龄推迟，以及配偶间教育程度差距扩大。这些发现凸显了撒哈拉以南非洲各国政府通过中等教育投资持续改善女性赋权的潜力。• 我们评估了乌干达免除学费的普及中等教育（USE）政策。• 识别策略利用了出生队列和地区政策暴露度的差异。• USE政策大幅改善了女性的教育程度和赋权。• 作用机制包括首次发生性行为、生育和同居的年龄推迟，以及女性劳动力市场结果的改善。• 相关证据支持将中等教育投资作为在撒哈拉以南非洲持续改善女性赋权的一条途径。
Abstract
We evaluate the long-term effects of Uganda’s 2007 Universal Secondary Education (USE) policy, which expanded secondary education access through tuition-fee elimination and increased school capacity. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we exploit variations in birth cohorts and regional exposure to identify the policy’s causal impacts on women’s educational attainment and empowerment. Our results show significant gains in education and empowerment for women in areas with greater program intensity. We also find improvements in women’s labour market outcomes, marriage and fertility outcomes such as delayed age at first sex, birth, and cohabitation, and increased spouse schooling differences. These findings highlight the potential for governments in sub-Saharan Africa to leverage secondary education investments in generating sustained improvement in women’s empowerment. • We evaluate Uganda’s Universal Secondary Education (USE) policy, which abolished tuition fees. • Identification exploits birth cohort and regional exposure variations to the policy. • The USE led to large improvements in women’s educational attainment and empowerment. • Mechanisms include delayed age at first sex, birth, and cohabitation, and enhanced labour market outcomes for women. • Evidence supports secondary education investments as a pathway to sustained women’s empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa.