School feeding, maternal empowerment, and household consumption
研究中国农村学校供餐计划对母亲赋权和家庭消费的影响，发现该计划减少了母亲家务时间、提升其劳动市场表现和决策权，并促使家庭消费转向女性偏好的商品，但多代家庭中效果减弱。
Abstract This paper examines the causal effects of a school feeding program on maternal empowerment and household consumption in rural China. Exploiting the staggered implementation of the Student Nutrition Improvement Program, we find that the program significantly reduces maternal time spent on housework, improves maternal labor market performance, and enhances maternal decision‐making power within nuclear households. The augmented bargaining power translates into shifts in household consumption toward female‐prioritized goods, including more nutritious foods, clothing, and housework‐related appliances. However, these positive effects on maternal empowerment are diminished in multigenerational families, where grandparents can assist with childcare responsibilities.