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The Enduring Impacts of a Big Push during Multiple Crises : Experimental Evidence from Afghanistan

Author

Listed:
  • Bedoya, Guadalupe
  • Belyakova, Yulia
  • Coville, Aidan
  • Escande, Thomas
  • Isaqzadeh,Mohammad
  • Ndiaye, Aminata

Abstract

How do proven strategies to improve the economic conditions of ultra-poor households hold up against the increasing severity and co-incidence of economic, security, and climate shocks? Five years after receiving an economic livelihoods package, and shortly prior to the 2021 regime change, “ultra-poor” women in Afghanistan continued to have significantly higher levels of consumption, assets, market work participation, financial inclusion, children’s school enrollment, and women’s psychological well-being and empowerment, relative to the control group. Households boost resilience by diversifying productive activities and the program improves equality by reducing the gaps between ultra-poor and non-ultra- poor households across multiple dimensions. The results illustrate how an increasingly popular approach to improve the conditions of the very poor through a one-off “big push” intervention can strengthen household resilience through multiple shocks in one of the most fragile settings worldwide.

Suggested Citation

  • Bedoya, Guadalupe & Belyakova, Yulia & Coville, Aidan & Escande, Thomas & Isaqzadeh,Mohammad & Ndiaye, Aminata, 2023. "The Enduring Impacts of a Big Push during Multiple Crises : Experimental Evidence from Afghanistan," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10596, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10596
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. Bedoya Arguelles,Guadalupe & Coville,Aidan & Haushofer,Johannes & Isaqzadeh,Mohammad Razaq & Shapiro,Jeremy, 2019. "No Household Left Behind : Afghanistan Targeting the Ultra Poor Impact Evaluation," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8877, The World Bank.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wicker, Till, 2025. "Winsorizing and Trimming with Subgroups," Discussion Paper 2025-007, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    2. Wicker, Till, 2025. "Winsorizing and Trimming with Subgroups," Other publications TiSEM 0add126c-edd4-49e9-a9f8-f, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    3. Wicker, Till, 2026. "Essays in Development Economics," Other publications TiSEM b26e13e4-9bff-4678-b138-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

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