American Political Science Review
- American Political Science Review / Volume 107 / Issue 03 / August 2013, pp 540-557
- Copyright © American Political Science Association 2013
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0003055413000270 (About DOI), Published online: 24 July 2013
Research Article
Empowering Women through Development Aid: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Afghanistan
ANDREW BEATHa1 c1, FOTINI CHRISTIAa2 c2 and RUBEN ENIKOLOPOVa3 c3
a1 World Bank
a2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
a3 New Economic School
Abstract
In societies with widespread gender discrimination, development programs with gender quotas are considered a way to improve women's economic, political, and social status. Using a randomized field experiment across 500 Afghan villages, we examine the effects of a development program that mandates female participation. We find that even in a highly conservative context like Afghanistan, such initiatives improve outcomes specific to female participation in some economic, social, and political activities, including increased mobility and income generation. They, however, produce no change in more entrenched female roles linked to family decision-making or in attitudes toward the general role of women in society.
Correspondence
c1 Andrew Beath is Economist, Office of the Chief Economist for East Asia and the Pacific, World Bank (abeath@worldbank.org).
c2 Fotini Christia is Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (cfotini@mit.edu).
c3 Ruben Enikolopov is Assistant Professor, New Economic School (REnikolopov@nes.ru).
Footnotes
We would like to thank Lisa Blaydes, Rohini Pande and Kathleen Thelen for excellent feedback and comments and Sippi Azarbaijani-Moghaddam for invaluable assistance in survey design. The authors gratefully acknowledge the generous cooperation and assistance provided by Tariq Ismati. Abdul Rahman Ayubi, H.E. Wais Barmak, Ehsan Zia, Philippe Dongier, Susanne Holste, Qazi Azmat Isa, Zishan Karim, Norman Piccioni, and Mio Takada. The study was financially supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Bank, and the National Solidarity Programme. Fotini Christia acknowledges support from ARO MURI award No. W911NF-12–1-0509. A part of the work on this article took place when Ruben Enikolopov was on leave at the Institute for Advanced Study. Ruben Enikolopov acknowledges support through Deutsche Bank Membership during his stay at IAS. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this article are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors, or the countries they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use.
