Jules Gazeaud (J-PAL MENA)

Tradition Matters: Experimental Evidence from a Cash Grant, Training, and Gender Dialogue Program

Co-authors : Nausheen Khan, Eric Mvukiyehe and Olivier Sterck.

Abstract

We use a randomized experiment to study the effects of offering cash grants and financial training to women in Tunisia. To address gender-specific barriers in the labor market, a random subset of women could invite their male partner to the training. The effects of the cash grants and financial training on households are overwhelmingly positive. However, the program—including the gender dialogue component—was insufficient to impact women’s entrepreneurship and agency. Instead, the program stimulated the income generating activities of other household members as well as investments in small-scale agriculture and livestock farming—two activities traditionally undertaken by women.