Silvia Castro

Stigma can hinder the adoption of beneficial and affordable technologies, particularly in sensitive health areas. Menstruation is a heavily stigmatized biological process, and managing menstruation with dignity and hygiene is a challenge in low-income settings. In this study, we conducted a randomized control trial to explore the impact of discussion-based interventions on breaking the silence around menstruation and shifting practices related to menstrual products. Our findings demonstrate a significant increase in the willingness to pay for well-known menstrual products and in the adoption of novel technologies post-intervention. The key driver of these outcomes is the reduction of menstruation-related stigma at the moment of the acquisition of the technologies. 

See the coverage of this project in VoxDev, in The Decision Lab, or in LMU pressroom.

Millions of women worldwide face challenges in managing menstruation, which negatively affects their health, education, labor force participation and productivity. Cultural taboos and social norms are believed to be at the core of this issue, perpetuating stigma and harmful health behaviors, and interfering with attempts to improve knowledge. Our study explores how deep-rooted cultural norms relate to, and potentially hinder, effective menstrual hygiene practices in rural Bangladesh. With an educational intervention, we disseminate knowledge on menstrual hygiene practices. While the intervention succeeded in reshaping certain misconceptions and easing restrictions on hygienic drying of menstrual absorbents, it was less effective in changing deep-seated harmful practices related to their washing and maintenance. The findings suggest that information alone is insufficient to change entrenched norms, highlighting the need for more comprehensive strategies to improve menstrual health management.

I am thankful to Ayesa Abed Foundation, Aarong and to BRAC for hosting our research project.

This paper uses data for over 500 teams totaling more than 4,300 employees in a global healthcare company to document that workplace cultures where individuals feel safe voicing their ideas associate with innovation, team performance and team stability. We then implement a randomized control trial to improve workplace norms and create psychologically safer spaces. We encourage managers to hold regular one-to-one meetings and exogenously vary the content of those meetings. Focusing on employees’ psychological needs increases psychological safety, while focusing on task execution is effective only for moderate levels of psychological safety. Our interventions also improve perceived innovativeness, leadership quality and team stability and are particularly effective for male majority teams and junior leaders.

See the coverage of the project at the MIT Sloan Review here. 

Access to finance is crucial for entrepreneurial success, yet women are particularly constrained. We structurally unpack whether loan officers evaluate business ideas and implementation constraints differently for male and female entrepreneurs, for both individual entrepreneurs and for entrepreneurial teams.  In a lab-in-the-field experiment with Ugandan loan officers, we document gender bias against individual female entrepreneurs, but no bias for entrepreneurial teams.  The bias is not driven by animus but  by differential beliefs about women's implementation constraints in running a business. Policies aimed at team formation and alleviating family-related constraints may help to promote equal access to finance, ultimately stimulating growth.

I am thankful to Centenary Bank and FINCA for hosting this project

Organizations rely on peer-to-peer knowledge exchange among employees, yet incentivizing cooperative behaviors is a challenge. This study evaluates an intervention designed to encourage peer support in the largest bank in Uganda. Using a cluster randomized controlled trial, we introduced a public recognition incentive-awarding employees identified as the most supportive by their peers and supervisors. Results show that the intervention increases employees' willingness to help by 21% in expertisesharing and 12% in mentoring. The incentive's effectiveness stems from its role in enhancing professional reputation and career prospects. A replication exercise in a second bank confirms the findings and the external validity of the results.