Discussion paper

DP15808 Can Youth Empowerment Programs Reduce Violence Against Girls during the Covid-19 Pandemic?

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

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Citation

Gulesci, S, M Puente Beccar and D Ubfal (2021), ‘DP15808 Can Youth Empowerment Programs Reduce Violence Against Girls during the Covid-19 Pandemic?‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 15808. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp15808