Women's Paid Labor Force Participation and Child Immunization: A Multilevel Model

Abstract

I estimated the effect of women's cash work on child immunization in 25 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America using a multi-level fixed-effects model and found support for the hypothesis that all children benefit in areas with higher rates of women's labor force participation. The proportion of women working within a sub-national region (province) has a strong, positive impact on the likelihood of complete child immunization. While all children benefit from increasing levels of women's work, the children of those who work benefit more from living in areas where women's work is at higher rates. Thus, this analysis supports the view that a child's complete immunization is influenced by the larger social context associated with women's work.