Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to experience poverty in their adult lives, manifesting intergenerational poverty traps. Studies with long-term panel data show that the poverty status of households in their childhood is associated with their human capital, occupational choice, income, as well as their age of marriage, fertility, and migration. While…
Measuring the Long-Term Impact of Reducing Childhood Poverty
Project
Ticket to Thrive: Effect of Safe Public Transportation on Mobility and Employment of Women in Urban India
In India, only 20% of women participate in the labour force—less than in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia—hampering national economic growth and women’s financial independence. This project investigates how safe public transportation, specifically the Delhi Metro, can alleviate mobility constraints that keep 60% of working women within 2km of their homes. We leverage past and future…
Paternalistic Discrimination
Women in South Asia are often excluded from the labour market, reducing their financial autonomy, and negatively impacting their physical and mental wellbeing (Verick, 2014; Field et al., 2021). Large government interventions have failed to close the gender employment and wage gaps for over two decades (NIPORT 2007–2017, BBS 2018). This shows that education and…
Market-Based Solutions to Gender Inequality in Job Search in Pakistan
Our research agenda addresses questions central to the economics of gender: To what extent are gender gaps in labour markets driven by labour demand versus supply? Given weak capacity in developing countries to enforce legislation, can market-based interventions help redirect the search of workers and firms towards more equitable matches? We leverage our research partnership…
Improving Childcare Quality through Social Franchising
Access to high-quality childcare is central to advancing women’s economic and social agency while promoting children’s development. However, in many LMICs, childcare markets are largely informal, with care often provided in unregulated home-based settings. As a result, childcare is often of poor quality, while also being unprofitable and unaffordable. Mothers typically bear the burden of…
LinkinOut Harassment
The issue of sexual harassment in the workplace remains pervasive, despite being illegal and a violation of human rights. Approximately one in two women experience sexual harassment during their work lives, with half of them experiencing three or more incidents. However, reporting of harassment is often hindered by stigma, psychological costs, and fear of retaliation….
Depression Treatment and Female Performance in the Labour and Marriage Markets in India
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with a lifetime prevalence of 15-20% and a higher prevalence among the poor. Depression symptoms include anhedonia, impaired attention, and fatigue. People with depression and their families also face pervasive stigma and discrimination, particularly in India and other LMICs. Impacts are felt through the household by requiring…
A Tough Call: Understanding the Impact of Mobile Technology on Women’s Work, Gender Gaps, and Social Norms
As digital technology becomes an ever-growing part of economic life in low-income countries, researchers and policymakers face a moment of both opportunity and risk: technologies like smartphones and mobile internet could connect millions of marginalized women and girls to the modern economy, generating new opportunities for employment and human capital accumulation. However, there is a…