Learning and resources on gender in education
Societal norms about gender roles perpetuate the economic disadvantages facing women in many developing countries. This paper evaluates an intervention aimed at eroding support for restrictive gender norms, specifically a multi-year school-based intervention in Haryana, India, that engaged adolescents in classroom discussions about gender equality. Using a randomized controlled trial, we find that the intervention improved adolescents’ gender attitudes by 0.25 standard deviations, a sizable effect in comparison to other correlates of their attitudes such as their parents’ attitudes. Programme participants also report more gender-equitable behavior; for example, boys report helping out more with household chores.
