From cultivation to culture: Wheat farming and sex selection in China

Sex selection has been linked to son preference and discrimination against girls in many Asian countries. In this study, we shed light on the shaping role of rice–wheat cropping system to the subsequent gender inequality in China. Using an individual-level dataset compiled from a national scale survey and an archaeology publication, we show regional differences in gender inequality across China: parents show strong gender discrimination against girls in wheat regions. And 15.2 percentage points more parents from wheat regions engage in successful sex selection than those from non-wheat regions. The mechanism analysis reveals that women empowerment matters.