arXiv subjects

Sana Khalil

Publications and source records attributed to Sana Khalil.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Inside the Kin Network: Consanguineous Marriage, Patriarchal Bargaining, and Women's Acceptance of Intimate Partner Violence in Pakistan

Women in Pakistan report greater acceptance of intimate partner violence (IPV) than men in several domestic situations. This study examines whether marital kinship structures are associated with women's attitudes toward IPV. Although consanguineous marriage is widespread in Pakistan, its relationship with women's acceptance of IPV remains poorly understood. We investigate whether marriage between blood relatives is associated with women's justification of IPV and whether this association varies between situations involving challenges to patriarchal authority and routine domestic responsibilities. Using nationally representative data on 15,065 ever-married women aged 15-49 from the 2017-18 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, we estimate binary and ordered logistic regression models. We also use propensity-score matching, inverse probability weighting, kernel matching, radius matching, and Mahalanobis-distance matching to improve comparability between women in consanguineous and non-kin marriages based on observed characteristics. Consanguineous marriage is associated with greater acceptance of IPV in four of the five scenarios examined: going out without permission, refusing sexual intercourse, neglecting children, and arguing with a husband. No statistically significant association is found for burning food. Alternative matching methods produce similar patterns across the four scenarios. Education, household wealth, and participation in household decision-making are associated with lower acceptance of IPV, whereas prior experience of violence is associated with greater acceptance. Significant regional differences also suggest that local institutional and normative contexts shape attitudes toward IPV. Because the data are cross-sectional and matching addresses only observed differences, the findings should be interpreted as conditional associations rather than causal effects.

econ.GN↗

arXiv2026

Double Disadvantage: How Gender and Residential Location Shape Hiring Outcomes in Pakistan's IT Sector

This paper examines how gender and residential socioeconomic status shape hiring outcomes in the information technology sector using a field experiment from the city of Karachi, Pakistan. Employers in Pakistan can openly state preferences regarding gender, residential location, and other characteristics, but the majority in the information technology sector choose not to do so. This creates an opportunity to examine whether discrimination persists when such biases are not explicitly stated. An analysis of explicitly gender-targeted job ads shows that men are preferred over women across most occupations, even in traditionally pink-collar roles. Moreover, results from a resume audit experiment, submitting 2,032 applications to 508 full-time job openings, show that men receive more callbacks for job interviews than women, even in the absence of explicit gender preferences in job ads. The study also indicates a significant premium favoring candidates from high-income areas, who receive 45 percent more callbacks than applicants from low-income neighborhoods. This advantage remains robust even after controlling for commuting distance. Qualitative interviews with human resource officials suggest that employers associate productivity with both gender and neighborhood socioeconomic status. Residential address acts as a proxy for class background and signals education, skills, and perceived "fit" in professional settings. These perceptions may reinforce stereotypes, disadvantaging women and candidates from low-income backgrounds.

econ.GN↗

arXiv2025

Cousin Marriage in Pakistan

This paper examines the role of cousin marriage in shaping women's autonomy, household status, and labor supply in Pakistan. Existing research offers contradictory claims: some suggest that cousin marriage improves women's position within the household, while others argue it limits their freedoms and economic opportunities. Using data from 15,068 married women in the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18, this study provides new quantitative evidence. Results indicate a modest negative association between cousin marriage and women's participation in paid work, alongside a stronger link to home-based and unpaid labor. Women in cousin marriages do not appear to gain household status relative to those in non-cousin marriages and are more likely to justify spousal violence, reflecting entrenched patriarchal norms. These findings suggest that cousin marriage may reinforce traditional gender roles and constrain women's economic and social autonomy.

econ.GN↗

arXiv2025

Invisible Labor, Visible Barriers: The Socioeconomic Realities of Women's Work in Pakistan

We highlight the barriers shaping women's economic opportunities in Pakistan, where female labor force participation remains among the lowest globally. Labor force surveys (2020-21) show a stark rural-urban divide: 28 percent for rural women versus 69 percent for rural men, and 10 percent for urban women versus 66 percent for urban men. Unemployment is higher for women (7 percent in rural areas; 16 percent in urban areas) than for men (5 and 6 percent, respectively). Women are concentrated in agriculture (68 percent), with limited presence in services (17 percent) and industry (15 percent), and mostly in rural (51 percent) or home-based (30 percent) work; only 14 percent are in formal business settings. Employment status reflects vulnerability: 63 percent of rural women are unpaid contributing family workers versus 17 percent of urban women. Interviews with married women in Karachi underscore childcare constraints, harassment and safety concerns, transport barriers, and family opposition. Together, the evidence points to structural and cultural constraints that restrict access to paid work; easing them will require labor market reforms, better transport and childcare, stronger protections against harassment and discrimination, and a gradual change in gender norms and household decision-making.

econ.GN↗