How did you come to study welfare issues?
Human behaviour has always fascinated me, and observing how people interact with their circumstances has been a source of great intrigue. My PhD thesis is a reflection of this passion. The topic of my research stems from the stories of people I observed while growing up in Pakistan. Using economic modelling and statistical techniques has provided a compelling way to explore and convey these stories.
Can you describe your PhD essays?
My doctoral thesis is divided into three chapters.
The first chapter, “A Touch of Violence: Welfare Outcomes under Bride Exchange and Child Brides”, delves into the influence of marital traditions on women’s welfare, transcending the boundaries of cultural norms. It unveils the motivations that drive husbands to engage in abusive behaviour towards their spouses after controlling traditions. Specifically, this chapter focuses on two intricate customs: the Pakistani exchange marriage known as Watta Satta and the practice of child brides. The derived preferences using structural estimates, meticulously adjusted to account for the under-reporting of domestic abuse, illuminate that abusive husbands tend to devalue the time and effort invested in domestic production. The study yields a vital policy insight — initiatives aimed at fostering female financial independence may not effectively mitigate marital abuse. In contrast, male-centric policies, promoting positive perceptions of daughters and bolstering male education, exert a significantly positive influence on reducing instances of female abuse. Notably, this research underscores that, concerning child marriage, access to education does not significantly impact the likelihood of becoming a child bride.
The second chapter, “Hot Flashes: Theory and Empiric of Optimal Menopause”, embarks to unravel the enigma of menopause through the lens of evolutionary theory. Evolutionary paradigms posit that menopause prompts women to redirect their resources from childbearing to nurturing household members, thereby enhancing the survival prospects of husbands, adult children, and grandchildren. Among the explored evolutionary explanations, the chapter lends support to the patriarch hypothesis, proposing that menopause serves as an evolutionary consequence aimed at prolonging male longevity. It suggests that patriarchs, desiring a seamless legacy continuation, motivate their wives (grandmothers) to contribute to maternal care for pregnant daughters-in-law. Notably, paternal grandmothers appear to experience a balanced alignment between their responsibilities for progeny care and their obligations to ensure personal and spousal survival and longevity.
In the third chapter, “The Economic Growth Dilemma: Navigating Population Policies and Emissions Permits”, the interplay between population management and market-driven environmental policy instruments within the context of economic growth is explored. Using a theoretical framework, it finds that in the absence of effective population management, the introduction of an emissions permit scheme triggers a regressive cycle marked by escalating birth rates. Consequently, this phenomenon leads to diminished economic growth, primarily attributed to the adverse income effect stemming from permit pricing. Thus, this chapter underscores the pivotal role of population policy in breaking this cycle, while acknowledging the significance of preferences concerning progeny well-being. The study reveals that birth taxes designed to finance environmental permits emerge as an effective strategy for averting impending environmental and demographic crises, all while preserving economic growth. This comprehensive analysis highlights the delicate equilibrium between population management and environmental policy, forming the bedrock for sustainable economic development.
What are you doing now?
I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Graduate Institute’s Centre for Finance and Development (CFD).
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On 17 October 2024, Maria Kamran defended her PhD thesis in Development Economics, titled “Three Essays on Welfare”. Senior Lecturer Joëlle Noailly presided over the committee, which included Professor Jean-Louis Arcand, Thesis Director, and Professor Dorothée Boccanfuso, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco.
Citation of the PhD thesis:
Kamran, Maria. “Three Essays on Welfare.” PhD thesis, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, 2025.
A brief abstract of the PhD thesis is available on this page of the Geneva Graduate Institute’s repository. As the thesis itself is embargoed until January 2028, please contact Dr Kamran for access.
Banner image: Shutterstock/Sajedeh Zarei.
Interview by Nathalie Tanner, Research Office.