Youth Empowerment in Bolivia

Last registered on September 13, 2021
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Youth Empowerment in Bolivia
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0004836
Initial registration date
October 10, 2019
Last updated
September 13, 2021, 8:12 AM EDT

Locations

Country
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Region
Cochabamba, Oruro, La Paz and Santa Cruz

Primary Investigator

Name
DIEGO UBFAL
Affiliation
World Bank
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Selim Gulesci
PI Affiliation
Bocconi University
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PI Name
Manuela Puente Beccar
PI Affiliation
Bocconi University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2019-05-20
End date
2020-11-30
Keywords
Behavior, Crime, Violence, & Conflict, Education, Labor, Welfare
Additional Keywords
Soft-skills Training, Vocational Training, Sexual Education, Adolescents
JEL code(s)
I25, J13, J24, O17
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We evaluate a program that aims to help vulnerable youth aged 15-18 find a job, improve their working conditions and strengthen their income generation capacity. In order to achieve these goals, the program, which is implemented in four regions of Bolivia, provides youth with soft-skills and vocational training, mentoring and support in finding a job or starting a business. The package the program offers includes courses on personal and economic empowerment, sexual and reproductive health, and training on vocational skills.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Gulesci, Selim , Manuela Puente Beccar and DIEGO UBFAL. 2021. "Youth Empowerment in Bolivia." AEA RCT Registry. September 13. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.4836-2.2
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Treated youth are offered a full package that includes: courses on personal and economic empowerment as well as sexual and reproductive health, training on vocational skills, and support in finding a job or starting a business.
Intervention Start Date
2019-08-01
Intervention End Date
2019-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Labor Market Outcomes (formal and informal employment, job stability, earnings), Violence
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
soft skills (self-esteem, aspirations),
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Youth are considered eligible for the program if they satisfied certain vulnerability criteria. Once a group of 600 youth is obtained, they are randomized in equal proportion into treatment and control groups. The treatment group is offered to take the full program package, while the control group is excluded from the program for at least one year.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer using STATA.
Randomization Unit
Individuals aged 15-18
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
600 youth
Sample size: planned number of observations
600 youth
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
300 youth treatment, 300 youth control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Ethics Committee of Bocconi University
IRB Approval Date
2019-05-09
IRB Approval Number
9882-2
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
Yes
Intervention Completion Date
March 01, 2020, 12:00 +00:00
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
September 30, 2020, 12:00 +00:00
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
511 youth
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
No
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
511 youth
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
255 control, 256 treated
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
Yes
Public Data URL
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304387821000894

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Program Files

Program Files
Yes
Program Files URL
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304387821000894
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Abstract
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, sex education, mentoring, and job-finding assistance. To measure the effects of the program, the study conducts a randomized control trial with 600 vulnerable adolescents. The results indicate that seven 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.
Citation
Gulesci, S., Puente-Beccar, M. and D. Ubfal (2021) "Can Youth Empowerment Programs Reduce Violence against Girls during the COVID-19 Pandemic?" World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 9547.
URL
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/35143
Abstract
This paper shows that a youth empowerment program in Bolivia reduced the reported prevalence of violence against girls during the COVID-19 lockdown. The program offered training in soft skills and technical skills, sexual education, mentoring and job-finding assistance. To measure the effects of the program, the study conducted a randomized control trial with 600 vulnerable adolescents. Results indicate that 7 months after its completion, the program increased girls’ earnings and decreased violence against girls. Violence was measured with both direct self-report questions and list experiments. These findings suggest that multi-faceted empowerment programs can reduce the level of violence experienced by young women during high-risk periods.
Citation
Gulesci, S, Puente–Beccar, M and D. Ubfal (2021) "Can youth empowerment programs reduce violence against girls during the COVID-19 pandemic?" Journal of Development Economics, Volume 153, 102716.
URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2021.102716

Reports & Other Materials