Asset Ownership and Female Empowerment: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Pakistan (2020)

Researchers use data collected in the aftermath of the massive 2010 floods to investigate the impact of this wealth shock on marital asset ownership and women’s empowerment. The estimated results show that a higher bride price in rural Pakistan is associated with improvements in women’s status within households. Given that women are largely excluded from inheriting parental property, this paper highlights the criticality of marital assets as the only property women are likely to possess.