Permission To Speak: Evidence from a Workplace Menstrual Awareness Campaign Involving Men

Last registered on October 16, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Permission To Speak: Evidence from a Workplace Menstrual Awareness Campaign Involving Men
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0019765
Initial registration date
September 20, 2026

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
October 16, 2026, 1:50 PM EDT

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Silvia Castro
Affiliation
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-09-20
End date
2026-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Firms & Productivity, Gender
Additional Keywords
menstruation, workplace stigma, gender norms, psychological standing, employee voice, organizational communication, garment factories, Bangladesh
JEL code(s)
J16, M54, J81
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial is based on or builds upon one or more prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study examines whether public organizational communication can change how employees engage with menstruation as a stigmatized and gendered workplace issue. The study is conducted among male and female workers in two garment factories in Bangladesh. Workers are surveyed at baseline, after which the factories implement an audio-based workplace communication campaign in which short messages about menstruation are broadcast through factory loudspeakers, allowing both women and men to hear the messages. Workers are surveyed again after the intervention.

The study examines whether making menstruation publicly discussable within the organization changes employees’ perceived organizational authorization to engage with menstruation, their psychological standing to discuss menstruation with female coworkers, male coworkers, and supervisors. We additionally examine whether change differs across relational targets and across practices that vary in their social embeddedness, including cross-gender communication, menstrual-product transactions, purity-related practices, and religiously anchored practices.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Castro, Silvia. 2026. "Permission To Speak: Evidence from a Workplace Menstrual Awareness Campaign Involving Men." AEA RCT Registry. October 16. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19765-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Audio workplace communication campaign. Short informational audio messages about menstruation and menstrual health will be broadcast through the existing loudspeaker systems of two garment factories in Bangladesh and will be audible to both female and male workers. The campaign aims to make menstruation a legitimate and discussable workplace issue.
Intervention Start Date
2026-09-27
Intervention End Date
2026-11-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Macro outcomes: perceived organizational authorization of menstruation as a legitimate workplace issue and social norms surrounding menstruation-related workplace and social practices. Micro outcomes: psychological standing to engage with menstruation-related issues; women’s disclosure and support-seeking; men’s ally engagement; and issue voice among female and male workers.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Organizational authorization is measured through agreement with statements about whether menstruation can be discussed at work, whether seeking help is appropriate, and whether menstruation should remain private. Psychological standing is measured separately with respect to a female coworker, male coworker, and direct supervisor. Behavioral outcomes measure disclosure/support-seeking among women, ally engagement among men, and issue voice among both genders. Social norms are measured through perceived social appropriateness of specific menstruation-related behaviors.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Male and female workers in two garment factories in Bangladesh will be surveyed at baseline. Between baseline and endline, both factories will implement the audio communication campaign, after which workers will be surveyed again. The study therefore uses baseline-to-endline comparisons across two factory settings.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Computer randomization conducted prior to survey administration. Assignment to the four- versus five-statement list is stratified by respondent gender and linked to worker ID.
Randomization Unit
Individual worker for the randomized list-elicitation component. The factory-wide audio communication intervention is not randomized.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
2 garment factories (study sites); randomization occurs at the individual-worker level.
Sample size: planned number of observations
Approximately 600-800 workers across two garment factories, half of each gender
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
600-800 individuals
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
See PAP
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
INSEAD IRB Board
IRB Approval Date
2026-09-09
IRB Approval Number
2026-74
Analysis Plan