Women’s Empowerment in Action: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial in Africa

TLDR

The study evaluates a multifaceted policy intervention to jump‑start adolescent women’s empowerment in Uganda. The intervention provides vocational training and information on sex, reproduction, and marriage. Four years post‑intervention, girls in treated communities are more likely to be self‑employed, have lower teen pregnancy and early marriage rates, and report less forced sex, demonstrating the program’s potential as a cost‑effective policy to enhance economic and social empowerment. JEL codes: I25, J12, J13, J16, J23, J24, O15.

Abstract

We evaluate a multifaceted policy intervention attempting to jump-start adolescent women’s empowerment in Uganda by simultaneously providing them vocational training and information on sex, reproduction, and marriage. We find that four years postintervention, adolescent girls in treated communities are more likely to be self-employed. Teen pregnancy, early entry into marriage/cohabitation, and the share of girls reporting sex against their will fall sharply. The results highlight the potential of a multifaceted program that provides skills transfers as a viable and cost-effective policy intervention to improve the economic and social empowerment of adolescent girls over a four-year horizon. (JEL I25, J12, J13, J16, J23, J24, O15)