Gender wage gap and child malnutrition in Ethiopia: A probit instrumental variable method

Objective: Child malnutrition is a widespread concern in Sub-Saharan Africa. Previous studies mainly focus on the association between women's employment status and child malnutrition, however, the aim of this study is to examine the causal effect of household gender wage gap on child malnutrition in Ethiopia. Methods: This study relies on a data set consisting of 2066 children under 5 years of age using 2018/19 Living Standards Measurement Study data for Ethiopia. A probit instrumental variable (IV) method is applied to determine the causal effect. Results: Persistent gender wage gap of approximately 35% has been observed across various sectors in Ethiopia. Estimated results show that the decrease in household gender wage gap significantly enhances child growth outcomes, especially for younger girls and children in households with limited access to market. Specifically, one percentage point increase in gender wage gap is associated with a 0.74% $$ increase in the probability of stunting and a 0.42% $$ increase in the likelihood of wasting. Three mechanisms have been identified as contributing factors: more allocation of health resources to children, improved dietary diversity in the household, and increased household income. Conclusions: Policy interventions aiming at improving the children nutrition status in Ethiopia are expected to narrow down gender wage inequality accordingly. Further research is needed to explore the association using reliable and large-scale data source in other countries.