The Causal Effect of Early Marriage on Women's Bargaining Power: Evidence from Bangladesh.

This article examines the causal impact of age at marriage on women's empowerment and bargaining power within postmarital households in rural Bangladesh, using nationally representative data from the 2019 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS). Employing the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) alongside measures of agency in domestic decision making, the study uses age at menarche as an instrumental variable for age at marriage to address endogeneity concerns. Findings indicate that delayed marriage significantly increases women's empowerment scores, autonomy in agricultural production, control over income and assets, freedom of mobility, fertility decision making, and influence over household expenditures. The study also identifies education, labor market participation, and assets brought to marriage as key mediating factors linking later marriage to enhanced agency. These results underscore the importance of enforcing minimum marriage age laws and supporting programs that incentivize delayed marriage to improve women's status and household welfare in Bangladesh.