Essays on development economics

This dissertation is a collection of three independent papers in empirical development economics. The first chapter studies the effect of a family planning program in Bangladesh, which successfully reduced fertility, on households' asset accumulation. In developing countries parents expect their children to take care of them when they are old. Children also help parents to smooth consumption over their life cycle. They send remittances when parents are old and have relatively low income. The chapter presents a model where asset accumulation and children are substitutes, and finds that households exposed to a family planning program have lower fertility and more assets than those who were not exposed to the program. Chapter 2 examines effect of the same program on female autonomy. Policy makers and planners often view family planning programs (FPP) as being conducive to female autonomy. They argue that when women have fewer children they can earn more income and enjoy more property rights, higher mobility and greater decision making power inside and outside the household. But this may not be true in all situations.