Proceedings of the Global Conference on Gender Studies
Year: 2024
DOI:
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The Effect of The Number of Children on Mother’s Labour Income in South Africa
Olanrewaju A. Adediran
ABSTRACT:
The study examines the effect of the number of children on mothers’ labour income distribution in South Africa. This study uses panel data from the South African National Income Dynamic Survey (NIDS) from 2008 to 2017 to correct for sample selection bias caused by endogenous labour market participation. There has been a lack of studies correcting for sample selection bias in quantile regression in the study of the effect of the number of children on mothers’ labour income distribution in South Africa. The study provided answers to the questions: What is the impact of the number of children (child count) and the effect of preschool-age children on mothers’ labour income distribution? After controlling the sample selection bias, the results show that the total number of children and the presence of preschool-aged children significantly negatively affect mothers’ labour income distribution. Mothers with more children are likely to be hurt the most, especially those who are low-income earners at the bottom of the income distribution. It was significantly negative for middle-income mothers who had preschool-age children. As a result, the study suggests continuous awareness of family planning, contraceptives, and the spacing of children. Furthermore, work-family policies could positively affect a mother’s income from her employment.
keywords: Mother’s Labour Income, Number of Children, Family Planning, Heckman Selection Model, Quantile Regression