Effects of Education on Fertility and Labour Supply: Evidence from Malawi

Abstract

Women play a crucial role in the development of the Malawian economy. Their ability to blend household demands with labour market activities has been a remarkable phenomenon, one that has attracted the attention of an emerging literature on gender dynamics. This paper, in an attempt to add to this growing literature, sought to model female labour force participation and fertility in Malawi with a focus on the role of education using demographically enriched household survey data from the 2015/16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey. The study results showed that empowered women who are educated and engaged in the labour market will have less time for many children as the opportunity cost of staying at home and taking care of children becomes very high. In this regard, extending free education beyond primary school level to include secondary education could be an important measure that could help further reduce the fertility rate in Malawi. Policies to reduce fertility can also play direct and indirect roles in enhancing maternal and child mortality reductions. When women give birth to fewer children, it reduces their exposure to the risks of childbirth, particularly in rural areas where health and maternal care services are poor or non-existent.