Book

• • Pathways to Prosperity for Adolescent Girls in Africa (edited with Estelle Koussoubé). 2024. Washington, DC: World Bank (co-published with CGD and the Population Council). [Report and Executive Summary] [Data] [Adolescent Atlas for Action] [Video] 

Published Papers

• • Who Uses Childcare Centers? Evidence from Burkina Faso (with Aziz Dao, Estelle Koussoubé, and P. Rita Nikiema). May 2024, American Economic Association: Papers and Proceedings, 114: 454-458. [PDF] [Data] [Article]

  • School Choice and Educational Mobility: Lessons from Secondary School Applications in Ghana. July 2024, Journal of Human Resources, 59(4):1207-1243. [PDF]

  • Self-Employment Preferences among University Graduates in Ghana: Does Gender Make a Difference? (with Nana Akua Anyidoho). March 2022, Development Policy Research, 40(2): e12562. [PDF] [Data] [Article]

  • The Effects of Education on Financial Outcomes: Evidence from Kenya (with Phillip Ross). October 2020, Economic Development and Cultural Change, 69(1): 253-289. [PDF] [Data] [Article]

  • The Importance of Information Targeting for School Choice (with Willa Friedman and Adrienne Lucas). May 2017, American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings, 107(5): 638-643. [PDF] [Data] [Article]

  • Gender Parity and Schooling Choices (with Marric Buessing). May 2015, Journal of Development Studies, 51(5): 503-522. [PDF] [Data] [Article]

Policy and Working Papers

• • Childcare and Early Childhood Development Expenditures in Africa: Comparative Policy Insights for Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment (with Kelsey Harris and Astha Mainali). Center for Global Development Policy Paper 349. [PDF] [Blog post]

  • When Information is Not Enough: Evidence from a Centralized School Choice System (with Willa Friedman and Adrienne Lucas). NBER Working Paper 27887. Conditionally Accepted, Economic Journal. [PDF]

  • The Effects of Childcare on Women and Children: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Burkina Faso (with Aziz Dao and Estelle Koussoubé). Center for Global Development Working Paper 628. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 10239. [PDF] [Blog post]

  • Gender Differences in Socio-Emotional Skills and Economic Outcomes: New Evidence from 17 African Countries (with Smita Das, Clara Delavallade, Tigist Ketema and Léa Rouanet). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 10197. [PDF]

• School Choice under Imperfect Information (with Modibo Sidibé). [PDF]

• Student Performance and the Effects of School Quality versus School Fit. Earlier version, IED Working Paper 260. [PDF]

• Consumer Perceptions and Saving Behavior. [PDF]

• Imperfect Information and School Choice in Ghana (with Henry Telli). IGC Working Paper. [PDF]

Book Chapter

• • The Adoption of the Common External Tariff in Nigeria (with Philip Osafo-Kwaako). In D. Tussie, ed., The Politics of Trade: The Role of Research in Trade Policy and Negotiation. Dordrecht, Leiden, Boston: Republic of Letters Publishing, pp. 121-149, 2009. [Link]

Other Writing

• Dealing with a Double Whammy: The Trump Administration's Directives on Gender and Development February 2025 [Link]

• Trump’s Election Gives the UK a Clear Global Health Mission: Champion Family Planning and Reproductive Rights (with Katherine Klemperer, Pete Baker, Janeen Madan Keller, and Lee Crawfurd) January 2025 [Link]

• Care Work Is Real Work October 2024 [Link]

• Exploring Evidence-Informed Solutions to Support Women and Children in Crisis-Affected Settings  (Elana Banin and Mary Borrowman) October 2024 [Link]

• Shattering the Political Glass Ceiling: Exploring the Rise of Women Political Leaders (with Mayra Buvinic and Astha Mainali) August 2024 [Link]

• Reversing the Ban on Female Circumcision in The Gambia: An Alarm Bell for Girls’ Education and Gender Equality Globally (with Thi Le and Susannah Hares) April 2024 [Link]

• Deconstructing Five Common Myths about Childcare in Africa (with Sophia Friedson-Ridenour, Nathalie Ouangraoua and Rachael Pierotti) October 2023 [Link]

• Shining Light on the Stories beneath the Statistics October 2023 [Link]

• Bringing Women Back to Political Leadership in Nigeria March 2023 [Link]

• A Zip Lining Guide to Women's Economic Empowerment February 2023 [Link]

• Elevating the Childcare Agenda: What Could an Africa-US Partnership Look Like? December 2022 [Link] 

• What Happens When Early Childhood Development Meets Women’s Economic Empowerment? (with Aziz Dao and Estelle Koussoubé) November 2022 [Link]

• What Works for Whom in Childcare: What Do We Know, and What’s Left to Learn? November 2022 [Link]

• Reproductive Rights and Women’s Economic Empowerment August 2022 [Link]

• New Insights on Women’s Employment in Ethiopia’s Industrial Parks (with Niklas Buehren, Rachel Cassidy, and Isabelle Salcher) October 2021 [Link] 

• COVID-19 Impacts on Women Factory Workers in Ethiopia: Results from High-Frequency Phone Surveys (with Niklas Buehren, Menaal Ebrahim, and Adiam Hailemicheal) June 2020 [Link]

• Designing Social Protection Programs that Empower Women (with Alessandra Heinemann) June 2020 [Link]