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Advancing the Agency of Adolescent Girls

Author

Listed:
  • Eric Edmonds

    (Dartmouth College and NBER)

  • Ben Feigenberg

    (University of Illinois, Chicago)

  • Jessica Leight

    (IFPRI)

Abstract

More than 98 million adolescent girls are not in school. Can girls influence their schooling without changes in their family's economic environment? In Rajasthan, India, we examine the impact of a school-based life skills program that seeks to address low aspirations, narrow societal roles for girls and women, restricted networks of social support, and limited decision-making power. We find the intervention causes a 25% decline in school dropout that persists from seventh grade through the transition to high school. Improvements in socioemotional support among girls exposed to the intervention seem especially important in their decision to stay in school.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Edmonds & Ben Feigenberg & Jessica Leight, 2023. "Advancing the Agency of Adolescent Girls," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 105(4), pages 852-866, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:105:y:2023:i:4:p:852-866
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01074
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Abay, Kibrom A. & Alzua, Maria Laura & Barasa, Laura & Machio, Phyllis Mumia & Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr., 2024. "Soft-skills training, locus of control, and labor market outcomes of youth: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Kenya," IFPRI discussion papers 2294, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Poblete-Cazenave, Rubén & V., Claudia Martínez, 2025. "Holi crimes: The impact of a public festivity on violence against women," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    3. Dammert, Ana C. & Nansamba, Aisha, 2023. "Skills training and business outcomes: Experimental evidence from Liberia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    4. So Yoon Ahn & Youjin Hahn & Semee Yoon, 2021. "Can New Learning Opportunities Reshape Gender Attitudes for Girls?: Field Evidence from Tanzania," Working Papers 2021-046, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    5. Paul, Pintu & Saha, Ria & McDougal, Lotus & Gopalakrishnan, Lakshmi, 2025. "Marital choice, spousal communication, and contraceptive self-efficacy and use among newly married girls in India: Evidence from the UDAYA study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 373(C).
    6. Claudia Martínez V. & Rubén Poblete-Cazenave, 2024. "Holi Crimes," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 24-041/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    7. Priebe, Jan & Sumarto, Sudarno, 2025. "Reducing child marriages through CCTs: Evidence from a large-scale policy intervention in Indonesia," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    8. Bhanot, Syon P. & Crost, Benjamin & Leight, Jessica & Mvukiyehe, Eric & Yedgenov, Bauyrzhan, 2021. "Can community service grants foster social and economic integration for youth? A randomized trial in Kazakhstan," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    9. Dan Anderberg & Rachel Cassidy & Anaya Dam & Wendy Janssens & Morsink Karlijn & Anouk van Veldhoven, 2024. "Keeping the peace whilst getting your way: Information, persuasion and intimate partner violence," IFS Working Papers W24/22, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    10. Carcillo, Stéphane & Valfort, Marie-Anne & Vergara Merino, Pedro, 2025. "Combating LGBTphobia in Schools: Evidence from a Field Experiment in France," IZA Discussion Papers 17683, IZA Network @ LISER.
    11. Kosec, Katrina & Song, Jie & Zhao, Hongdi, 2021. "Bringing Power to the People or the Well-Connected? Evidence from Ethiopia on the Gendered Effects of Decentralizing Service Delivery," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315258, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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