Norms, Preferences and Women's Work Choices: Field Experiment in India

Last registered on December 01, 2025
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Norms, Preferences and Women's Work Choices: Field Experiment in India
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017299
Initial registration date
November 21, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
December 01, 2025, 11:26 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
India
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Apurva Borar
Affiliation
Cornell University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-11-01
End date
2026-03-31
Keywords
Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
Work Preferences, Household Dynamics, Beliefs
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study investigates the determinants of women's labor force participation in rural India, examining how social norms regarding women's work, household preferences over work arrangements, and job characteristics, both pecuniary and non-pecuniary, shape women's decisions to engage in economic activities outside the home
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Borar, Apurva. 2025. " Norms, Preferences and Women's Work Choices: Field Experiment in India." AEA RCT Registry. December 01. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17299-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
The intervention consists of a one-month part-time job offer that will be offered to women in the sample. The job will vary across three dimensions: job mission (prosocial vs. for-profit), location (work from home vs. work from a workshop), and wages (low vs. high). This experimental design allows us to identify which job characteristics are most effective in overcoming barriers to women's labor force participation.
Intervention Start Date
2026-01-15
Intervention End Date
2026-02-15

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Job Take Up Rate
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Job Offers with Varying Attributes
Experimental Design Details
This study will be a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 800 women randomly assigned to one of three groups: Treatment 1 (prosocial jobs, N = 300), Treatment 2 (for-profit jobs, N = 300), and Control group (N = 200). Women in the two treatment arms will receive one-month part-time job offers that vary across two additional dimensions: location (work from home vs. work from a workshop) and wages (low vs. high). This 2x2x2 factorial design allows us to separately identify the effects of job mission, location, and wage levels on women's willingness to accept employment and their subsequent labor market outcomes. Women in the control group will not receive any job offers during the study period but will be surveyed at baseline and endline alongside treatment participants.
Randomization Method
Computer
Randomization Unit
Household Level
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
There are no clusters
Sample size: planned number of observations
800 Households
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
300 in Treatment 1, 300 in Treatment 2 and 200 in Control group
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
IRB Approval Date
2025-10-10
IRB Approval Number
IRB0150109
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials