Increasing Savings for Vulnerable Women's Empowerment (iSAVE)

Last registered on October 09, 2013

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Increasing Savings for Vulnerable Women's Empowerment (iSAVE)
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0000087
First published
October 09, 2013, 5:30 PM EDT

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

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
American University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
Middlebury College

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2014-02-01
End date
2014-05-30
Secondary IDs
Abstract
For many women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), income is highly variable, and financial shocks occur frequently. We are interested in how women cope with such shocks and whether having liquid savings as a safety net may change their coping behaviors. We examine a range of economic behaviors of women and investigate how each behavior responds to shocks, both negative and positive. The primary research question is how the response of these behaviors to shocks is impacted by the presence of liquid savings. Our intervention is designed to provide women with a technology for savings, train them on the importance of savings, provide regular reminders to save, and induce random windfalls so that cash is available for saving. High frequency data collection regarding idiosyncratic shocks as well as outcome behaviors will allow a comparison of behavioral responses across women with exogenously-induced higher levels of personal, liquid savings and women in the control group.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Gong, Erick and Kelly Jones. 2013. "Increasing Savings for Vulnerable Women's Empowerment (iSAVE)." AEA RCT Registry. October 09. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.87-1.0
Former Citation
Gong, Erick and Kelly Jones. 2013. "Increasing Savings for Vulnerable Women's Empowerment (iSAVE)." AEA RCT Registry. October 09. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/87/history/461
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The treatment group will receive training on precautionary savings, a mobile money account ear-marked for savings, SMS reminders to save, and a chance to win a savings kickstarter (small grant) at the start of the study.
Intervention Start Date
2014-02-15
Intervention End Date
2014-05-10

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
saving, transfers, income generating activities, assets, food security, risky sexual behavior
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Two strata of vulnerable women (widows and sex workers) are each divided randomly into treatment and control groups. The treatment group receives the intervention as described. All participants, treatment and control, are eligible for weekly lotteries.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Treatment assignment randomized by computer. Lotteries are by public draw.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
400 women
Sample size: planned number of observations
400 women
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
200 women
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IFPRI
IRB Approval Date
2013-08-09
IRB Approval Number
n/a

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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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