Does the Role Model Encourage Female Labor Force Participation? Field Experiment in Bangladesh

Last registered on October 16, 2025

View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Does the Role Model Encourage Female Labor Force Participation? Field Experiment in Bangladesh

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0004940

Initial registration date

November 20, 2019

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

November 20, 2019, 2:52 PM EST

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

Last updated

October 16, 2025, 10:08 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country

Bangladesh

Region

Gaibandha

Primary Investigator

Name

Momoe Makino

Affiliation

Institute of Developing Economies

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Abu Shonchoy

PI Affiliation

Florida International University

Contact Investigator

PI Name

Zaki Wahhaj

PI Affiliation

University of Kent

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

Completed

Start date

2019-09-01

End date

2024-03-31

Keywords

Gender, Labor

Additional Keywords

Role model, Information, Intrahousehold decision-making

JEL code(s)

D83, D91, J16, J29, O53, Z13

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

Enhancing female labor force participation is considered key to economic growth, poverty alleviation, and women’s empowerment. Despite its importance both at the national and household/individual levels, the female labor force participation rate remains low in South Asian countries. It has been a great interest for researchers and policy makers how to enhance female labor force participation in these countries. We investigate whether providing unmarried young women and their parents with information about working conditions through the role model working women encourages unmarried young women’s labor force participation in rural Bangladesh, and if so, how. For this objective, we conduct the randomized controlled trial.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Makino, Momoe, Abu Shonchoy and Zaki Wahhaj. 2025. "Does the Role Model Encourage Female Labor Force Participation? Field Experiment in Bangladesh." AEA RCT Registry. October 16. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.4940-3.0

Sponsors & Partners

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

Request Information

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

Intervention (Hidden)

Intervention Start Date

2020-11-06

Intervention End Date

2021-07-11

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Motivational session take-up, Voucher take-up, Physical approach to the formal vocational center to enroll at the program, Take-up (enrollment) of the vocational training, Vocational training program completion/discontinuation/drop-out, Work for payment, Migration

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

The objective of the experiment is to encourage young unmarried girls aged 15-29 to participate in labor force by introducing them to the role model women. Eligible girls (or with parents) are offered the opportunity to receive an interactive motivational information session given by the role model women who belong to the same community (e.g., the same socioeconomic background within the upazila) as the eligible girls. We hire two role model women for each session: i) women who are currently working in the garment factory, and ii) self-employed women as a tailor. Among the two treatment villages, the enrollment fee at the formal training program is fully paid if the eligible girl wins the lottery (computer-based randomization). The probability of winning the lottery is either 75% or 25% at the village level.

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

Randomization done in office by a computer

Randomization Unit

village-level randomization

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

150 villages

Sample size: planned number of observations

1,500 households

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

50 villages control, 50 villages girl only role model session, 50 villages girl and parents role model session

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Assume that when the reservation wage is below the offered wage, the girl joins the labor force, and the offered wage distribution is the same as the current wage distribution, i.e., according to the pilot survey, the mean is BDT 5,250, and the standard deviation is BDT 2,693. Further assume that reservation wage distribution is equal to the current wage distribution minus one standard deviation. To maintain the 90% statistical power, the minimum sample size is 1,304.

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB