Abstract
This paper provides empirical evidence of gender disparities in parental s savings in a designated government saving program in Israel showing that parents allocate more financial resources to children perceived as future breadwinners. We take advantage of the unique characteristics of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish and Arab populations, which share patriarchal gender biases but have different economic incentives regarding the future economic prospects of girls versus boys in light of cultural gender gaps. Our findings reveal that Ultra-Orthodox Jewish parents tend to save more for girls, while Arab parents save more for boys, investing more for each societies future breadwinners Additional administrative and survey data investigations suggest that these savings behaviors are motivated by economic considerations (investment in human capital of future breadwinners) rather than patriarchal preferences. We contribute to the global discussion regarding the design of government sponsored savings programs and labor market initiatives.