Effect Of Compulsory Schooling On Women’s Labor And Marriage Market Outcomes: Evidence From Türkiye

Official URL: https://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b3199999

This study examines the impact of the 1997 compulsory schooling reform in Turkey, which extended mandatory education from 5 to 8 years, on women’s employment prospects and marriage market outcomes using a regression discontinuity design. The findings indicate that the reform has no significant effect on women’s labor market outcomes. However, it does lead to a higher likelihood of being married until ages 17 to 21 and giving birth until ages 19 to 21. These results imply that the reform led women to get married and give birth at earlier ages. Either improvement in the human capital of women does not penetrate to labor market outcomes since the reform did not affect the common practice of leaving the labor market for marriage related reasons in Türkiye, or the reform does not improve the human capital of women.