HOW DOES FEMALE EDUCATION AFFECT FERTILITY - A STRUCTURAL MODEL FOR THE COTE-DIVOIRE

A structural model relating fertility to its proximate is estimated fo r the Cote d'Ivoire. The assumption of exogeneity of the proximate det erminants is rejected and shown to understate their influence. The mod el allows identification of the means through which female education a ffects fertility. Secondary schooling is found to have particularly st rong effects, raising the age of cohabitation and reducing the duratio n of breastfeeding. The two transmission mechanisms are offsetting sin ce delayed cohabitation limits fertility whilst shortened breast-feedi ng increases it for older women. However, the impact via age at cohabi tation dominates, except amongst the older cohorts.