Using the 2003 ban of female genital cutting in Benin as a natural experiment, I estimate the effect of the ban on women’s human capital accumulation. The ban decreases the likelihood of a woman under...

Using the 2003 ban of female genital cutting in Benin as a natural experiment, I estimate the effect of the ban on women’s human capital accumulation. The ban decreases the likelihood of a woman undergoing genital cutting despite inconsistent enforcement. Banning female genital cutting has a counter-intuitive effect on women’s education. A difference-in-differences estimation indicates that the ban decreases women’s years of education, the probability of completing primary school, and the probability of starting secondary school. I show that the decrease in educational outcomes is accompanied by an increase in marriage and increased spousal match quality. The negative effect on women’s education dissipates following the implementation of free primary education in Benin.

The University of Delaware Board of Trustees voted to appoint Laura A. Carlson as the institution's 29th president, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

The Census Tree is the largest-ever database of record links among the historical U.S. censuses, with over 700 million links for people living in the …

I am so sad to report that the Demographic and Heath Survey program received their USAID termination email last night. This is a terrible loss to the data…

Join the conversation