 Empowerment Paradox? The Long-Run Impact of a Cycling Program for Girls in ZambiaAna Garcia-Hernandez, Nishith Prakash and Janina Isabel Steinert No 11889, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo Abstract: This study examines the five-year impacts of a bicycle distribution program for adolescent girls in rural Zambia, implemented across 91 schools as part of a randomized controlled trial. While the program increased girls’ self-reported empowerment and reduced experiences of domestic and intimate partner violence, it also led to higher rates of early marriage and teenage pregnancy - outcomes that run counter to the program’s objectives. We explore mechanisms behind this paradox, including improved socioeconomic status and increased receipt of bride prices, which may reflect girls’ higher perceived value in the marriage market. These findings suggest that girls may have exercised greater agency by making strategic decisions about marriage and childbearing. Our results underscore the complex interplay between empowerment, economic mobility, and local norms, and highlight the importance of accounting for potential unintended consequences when designing gender-focused development interventions. Keywords: bicycles; female empowerment; marriage; fertility; domestic violence; intimate partner violence; Zambia; RCT (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11889 Access Statistics for this paper More papers in CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo Contact information at EDIRC. |
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