Abortion and Human Capital Accumulation: A Contribution to the Understanding of the Gender Gap in Education

Leonid V. Azarnert, Bar-Ilan University

Abstract. This article analyzes the relationship between abortion and female education. It provides new empirical evidence from sub-Saharan Africa to show that more liberal abortion policies are associated with a higher female secondary school enrollment. It is assumed in the model that easier access to abortion decreases probability of dropping out of school for a female child in the case of an occasional pregnancy. As a consequence, it enhances parental investments in human capital of their female offspring and helps to reduce the gender gap in education, as consistent with the evidence.

JEL Code: I0, J1, O1

Keywords: gender gap, abortion, fertility, human capital, economic growth