Adoho, FranckChakravarty, ShubhaKorkoyah, Dala T., Jr.Lundberg, MattiasTasneem, Afia2014-04-102014-04-102014-04https://hdl.handle.net/10986/17718This paper presents findings from the impact evaluation of the Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (EPAG) project in Liberia. The EPAG project was launched by the Liberian Ministry of Gender and Development in 2009 with the goal of increasing the employment and income of 2,500 young Liberian women by providing livelihood and life skills training and facilitating their transition to productive work. The analysis in this paper is based on data collected during two rounds of quantitative surveys in 2010 and 2011, the second of which was conducted six months after the classroom-based phase of the training program ended. Strong impacts are found on the employment and earnings outcomes of program participants, relative to a control group of non-participants. The EPAG program increased employment by 47 percent and earnings by 80 percent. In addition, the impact evaluation documents positive effects on a variety of empowerment measures, including access to money, self-confidence, and anxiety about circumstances and the future. The evaluation finds no net impact on fertility or sexual behavior. At the household level, there is evidence of improved food security and shifting attitudes toward gender norms. These results reinforce the highly positive feedback received from focus group discussions with program participants. Finally, preliminary cost-benefit analysis indicates that the budgetary cost of the EPAG business development training for young women is equivalent to the value of three years of the increase in income among program beneficiaries. These preliminary results provide strong evidence for further investment and research into young women's livelihood programs in Liberia.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO EDUCATIONACCESS TO FAMILY PLANNINGADOLESCENT GIRLSADOLESCENT HEALTHADOLESCENTSADULT EDUCATIONADULTSAFTERNOON SESSIONSAGE GROUPSAGE OF MARRIAGEATTENDANCE RATEATTRITIONAVERAGE ATTENDANCEBARGAININGBARGAINING POWERBASIC LITERACYBASIC NEEDSBASIC SOCIAL SERVICESBEHAVIOR CHANGEBULLETINCHILDCARECHILDREN PER WOMANCIVIL CONFLICTCIVIL UNRESTCIVIL WARCLASSROOMCOMPUTER SKILLSCONDOMCONDOM USECONDOMSCONTRACEPTIVE USECONTROL OVER RESOURCESCURRICULACURRICULUMCURRICULUM DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT EFFECTIVENESSDEVELOPMENT POLICYDISCRIMINATIONDIVISION OF LABOREARLY PREGNANCYECONOMIC CONDITIONSECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTECONOMICSEDUCATED GIRLSEDUCATION SYSTEMEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTEDUCATIONAL ENROLMENTEDUCATIONAL LEVELSEMERGENCIESEMPLOYMENT GROWTHENROLLMENTENROLLMENT LEVELSENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAININGFAMILY MEMBERSFAMILY PLANNING METHODSFEMALE EMPOWERMENTFEMALE LITERACYFERTILITY RATEFERTILITY RATESFOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONSFOOD INSECURITYFOOD SECURITYFOOD SUPPLIESFORMAL EDUCATIONFORMAL SCHOOLINGGENDER EQUALITYGENDER NORMSGIRLSHEALTH DECISIONSHIGH SCHOOLHIVHOUSEHOLD ASSETSHOUSEHOLD DUTIESHOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITYHOUSEHOLD LEVELHOUSEHOLD SIZEHOUSEHOLD SURVEYSHUMAN DEVELOPMENTILLITERACYIMPACT ON FERTILITYINCOMEINCOME-GENERATING ACTIVITIESINFORMATION SERVICESINFORMED CONSENTINTERCOURSEINTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATIONINTERNSHIPSINTERVENTIONSINVENTORYJOB CREATIONJOB OPPORTUNITIESJOB TRAININGLABOR FORCELABOR FORCE PARTICIPATIONLABOR MARKETLABOURLABOUR FORCELARGE FAMILIESLARGE POPULATIONSLEARNINGLEVELS OF EDUCATIONLIFE SKILLSLIFE-SKILLSLIFETIME FERTILITYLITERACY PROGRAMLITERACY TRAININGLOW LEVELS OF EDUCATIONLOWER LITERACYMARKET FAILURESMARRIED WOMENMEATMOTHERMOTIVATIONNUMBER OF CHILDRENNUMBER OF PEOPLENUMERACYNUTRITIONOLDER CHILDRENOPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATIONOPPORTUNITY COSTSORPHANSOUTPUTSPARTICIPATION RATESPERSONALITYPILOT PROJECTSPOLICY DIALOGUEPOLICY DISCUSSIONSPOLICY IMPLICATIONSPOLICY MAKERSPOLICY RESEARCHPOLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPERPOLITICAL ECONOMYPOPULATION COUNCILPREGNANCIESPREGNANCY STATUSPRIMARY EDUCATIONPRIMARY SCHOOLPROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITYPRODUCTIVITYPROGRESSPUBLIC HEALTHQUALITY LEARNINGREFUGEEREPRODUCTIVE HEALTHRESOURCE ALLOCATIONRETENTION RATERISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIORRURAL AREASSAFETYSCHOOL ATTENDANCESCHOOL EDUCATIONSCHOOLINGSECONDARY EDUCATIONSECONDARY SCHOOLINGSELF-CONFIDENCESERVICE PROVIDERSERVICE PROVIDERSSEXSEX RATIOSSEXUAL BEHAVIORSEXUAL BEHAVIORSSEXUAL PARTNERSEXUAL PARTNERSSEXUAL RISKSEXUALLY ACTIVESKILLS DEVELOPMENTSKILLS TRAININGSOCIAL FACTORSSOCIAL NORMSSOCIAL SKILLSSPILLOVERSPOUSESTECHNICAL ASSISTANCETECHNICAL SKILLSTECHNICAL TRAININGTRAINEESTRAINING COSTSTRAINING MATERIALSTRAINING PROGRAMSUNEMPLOYMENTUNEMPLOYMENT RATEUNEMPLOYMENT RATESUNMARRIED WOMENURBAN AREASVOCATIONAL EDUCATIONVOCATIONAL TRAININGVULNERABILITYWAGE SUBSIDIESWAGESWOMANWORKFORCEYOUNG GIRLSYOUNG MENYOUNG PEOPLEYOUNG WOMENYOUNG WORKERSYOUTHYOUTH EMPLOYMENTAFRICA GENDER POLICYGENDER INNOVATION LABWOMEN AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT10.1596/1813-9450-6832