Ajayi, Kehinde F.Dao, AzizKoussoubé, Estelle2023-01-172023-01-172022-11https://hdl.handle.net/10986/38476This paper studies whether providing affordable childcare improves women’s economic empowerment and child development, using data from a sample of 1,990 women participating in a public works program in Burkina Faso. Of 36 urban work sites, 18 were randomly selected to receive community-based childcare centers. One in four women who were offered the centers used them, tripling childcare center usage for children aged 0 to 6 years. Women’s employment and financial outcomes improved. Additionally, child development scores increased. However, the analysis finds no significant effects on women’s decision-making autonomy, gender attitudes, or intrahousehold dynamics, suggesting the importance of considering multiple dimensions of childcare impacts.enCC BY 3.0 IGOGENDERLABORWELFARECHILDCAREEARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTGENDER INNOVATION LABWOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTINTRAHOUSEHOLD DYNAMICSAFRICA GENDER POLICYWOMEN AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENTWOMEN AND SOCIAL NORMSWOMEN AND SOCIAL PROTECTIONWorking PaperWorld Bank10.1596/1813-9450-10239