Empowering Mothers and Enhancing Early Childhood Investment: Effect on Adults Outcomes and Children Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills

The Journal of Human Resources

Victor Lavy, Giulia Lotti, Zizhong Yan

Abstract

Empowering women and enhancing children’s early development are two important goals often pursued via independent policy initiatives. In this paper we study a unique approach that targets both at the same time. AVSI, an Italian NGO, provides family advisor-guided parent training sessions in a poor neighborhood of Quito, Ecuador. We find that the program empowered women in various dimensions, including higher likelihood of employment in the formal-sector and wages. Treated mothers have a greater role in intra-household decisions, especially on children’s education and discipline and increase parental inputs into their children’s development. Treated children improve their cognitive and non-cognitive skills.

JEL classification: I25; O15

Read more: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.57.3.0917-9083R2