Addressing the Barriers to Young Women's Economic Empowerment in Bangladesh

This project seeks to generate evidence on barriers that stop young Bangladeshi girls from advancing economically. Researchers will examine interventions and policies that are effective in removing the barriers. Gender inequality in Bangladesh Despite improvements in girls' education, immunization, and access to credit, there remain significant gaps in gender equality in Bangladesh. This project brings together leading researchers from the United States and Bangladesh to examine the factors that constrain young girls from participating in the labour market or succeeding as entrepreneurs. The goal is to inform policies and interventions intended to enhance gender equity and improve economic prospects for young women. Research to inform policy-making The project aims to -generate evidence on the causal impact of reducing barriers to women's economic empowerment -understand how women overcome barriers to economic empowerment -assess which barriers remain after efforts to address the issues -offer policy recommendations to design or redesign girls' empowerment programs -strengthen the capacity of Bangladesh researchers working on gender and economic empowerment. Project leadership The project will be housed within the policy research and evaluation organization Innovations for Poverty Action. Project findings are expected to have wider relevance beyond Bangladesh. Research to drive opportunities This research is supported under the Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) program. GrOW is a five-year, multi-funder partnership of the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and IDRC. With a focus on low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, GrOW aims to support policies and interventions that improve women's livelihoods and contribute to societal well-being. One component of the program will support 11 projects addressing barriers to women's economic empowerment and gender gaps in earnings and productivity. This project is among them, selected following a competitive call.