Gender bias in child mortality and child care in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper adopts a rigorous and extensive approach to explore the prevalence of gender bias in child mortality and child care in Sub-Saharan Africa. Relying on data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) over 34 countries all across Sub-Saharan Africa, we consider complementary methodologies and several outcomes. First, we examine how reported mortality rates for children under 5 differ across gender and whether girl's mortality is disproportionately affected by rainfall conditions. We complete this investigation of gender bias in child mortality by looking at whether the proportion of girls among surviving children is disproportionately affected by rainfall conditions during childhood. We then concentrate on differentials in health outcomes by assessing whether the effect of rainfall conditions on child anthropometrics differs across gender. Finally, we explore whether investments in health care systematically differ across gender. Overall, we find no evidence of a strong and systematic gender bias in child mortality and child care in Sub-Saharan Africa.