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Reshaping Adolescents' Gender Attitudes: Evidence from a School-Based Experiment in India

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  • Diva Dhar
  • Tarun Jain
  • Seema Jayachandran

Abstract

Societal norms about gender roles contribute to the economic disadvantages facing women in many developing countries. This paper evaluates a school-based intervention in India that engaged adolescents in classroom discussions about gender equality for two and a half years with the goal of eroding their support for restrictive gender norms. Using a randomized controlled trial, we find that the program made attitudes 0.18 standard deviations more supportive of gender equality, or, equivalently, converted 16% of participants' regressive views. In addition, self-reported behavior became more aligned with progressive gender norms, particularly among boys. The effects observed in the short run were still present two years after the program had ended.

Suggested Citation

  • Diva Dhar & Tarun Jain & Seema Jayachandran, 2018. "Reshaping Adolescents' Gender Attitudes: Evidence from a School-Based Experiment in India," NBER Working Papers 25331, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25331
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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