Conference Paper
Motherhood and Women’s Agency in Egypt: Evidence from a Staggered Difference-in-Differences Approach
No.
ERF32AC_159
Publisher
ERF
Date
May, 2026
Topic
J1. Demographic Economics
J. Labor and Demographic Economics
This paper examines the causal effect of first-time motherhood on women’s agency in Egypt, a setting where high fertility coexists with low female labor force participation. Using four waves of the Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey (2006, 2012, 2018, 2023) and a staggered difference-in-differences design, we estimate the impact of a first birth on a composite Women’s Agency Index covering household decision-making, financial autonomy, and mobility. We find that first childbirth raises agency by roughly 0.10 index points, with gains concentrated in decision-making and financial autonomy while smaller effects on mobility.