Can youth empowerment programs reduce violence against girls during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Selim Gulesci (), Puente–Beccar, Manuela and Diego Ubfal

Journal of Development Economics, 2021, vol. 153, issue C

Abstract: This paper shows that a youth empowerment program in Bolivia reduced the reported prevalence of violence against girls during the COVID-19 lockdown. The program offered training in soft skills and technical skills, sexual education, mentoring and job-finding assistance. To measure the effects of the program, the study conducted a randomized control trial with 600 vulnerable adolescents. Results indicate that 7 months after its completion, the program increased girls’ earnings and decreased violence against girls. Violence was measured with both direct self-report questions and list experiments. These findings suggest that multi-faceted empowerment programs can reduce the level of violence experienced by young women during high-risk periods.

Keywords: Youth empowerment; Violence against girls; List experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J13 J16 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Working Paper: Can Youth Empowerment Programs Reduce Violence Against Girls during the Covid-19 Pandemic? (2021)
Working Paper: Can Youth Empowerment Programs Reduce Violence against Girls during the COVID-19 Pandemic ? (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:deveco:v:153:y:2021:i:c:s0304387821000894

DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2021.102716

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