More dads at home, more girls in maths‐intensive studies? Evidence from a parental leave reform
研究一项育儿假改革（为父亲保留一个月假期）对女孩选择数学密集型高中课程的影响，发现改革提高了父亲原本不愿休假的家庭中女孩选择数学密集型课程的概率，且性别规范机制是主要解释。
Abstract Evidence suggests that separate spheres gender norms discourage girls from maths. We therefore examine a policy that counteracts such norms among parents, and investigate whether it increases girls' participation in maths‐intensive studies. Specifically, we examine a parental leave reform that reserved one month of leave for fathers, and estimate its effect on children's study choices. We find that the reform increases the probability of doing a maths‐intensive programme in upper secondary education among girls whose father was otherwise reluctant to take leave. There is no effect on boys. We also conduct heterogeneity analyses to investigate whether the results can be explained by human capital transmission or the gender norms mechanism. The results of our analyses suggest that the gender norms mechanism is at play.