Abortion and human capital accumulation: A contribution to the understanding of the gender gap in education

This article analyzes the relationship between abortion and female education. It provides new empirical evidence from sub-Saharan Africa to show that more liberal abortion policies are associated with a higher female secondary school enrollment. It is assumed in the model that easier access to abortion decreases probability of dropping out of school for a female child in the case of an occasional pregnancy. As a consequence, it enhances parental investments in human capital of their female offspring and helps to reduce the gender gap in education, as consistent with the evidence.