An Evolutionary Model of Prenatal and Postnatal Discrimination Against Females

Abstract

Discrimination of born and unborn females is a well documented phenomenon in countries such as India, China, Taiwan or Korea. Empirical studies provide support for both an additive and a substitutive relationship between prenatal and postnatal discriminatory practices against females. We introduce a theoretical evolutionary model that endogenizes the preference for sons and, as a result, can explain why one or the other type of relationship emerges in a society.