Empowering Mothers and Enhancing Early Childhood Investment

ABSTRACT

Empowering women and enhancing children’s early development are two important goals often pursued via independent policy initiatives. In this work we study a unique approach that targets both at the same time. AVSI, an Italian NGO, provides family advisor-guided parent training sessions in a poor neighborhood of Quito, Ecuador. We find that the program empowered women in various dimensions, including higher likelihood of employment in the formal sector and wages. Treated mothers have a greater role in intrahousehold decisions, especially on children’s education and discipline, and increased parental inputs into their children’s development. Treated children improve their cognitive and noncognitive skills.