Work

Bring a friend: Leveraging financial and peer support to improve women’s reproductive agency in India

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Women’s agency in the domain of family planning and reproductive health is a fundamental determinant of their well-being. We experimentally evaluate two approaches aimed at improving women’s reproductive agency in India. We offered treated women subsidized family planning services at a local clinic. Additionally, we enabled a subset of treated women to invite and incentivize others to visit the clinic with them. Although the subsidy encouraged women to seek company to the clinic and increased clinic visits, combining the subsidy with the ability to leverage peer support increased women’s contraceptive use, decreased their likelihood of pregnancy, and was more effective in strengthening reproductive agency and peer engagement. Women facing greater intrahousehold opposition to contraception appeared to benefit more from peer support.

Source: Journal of Development Economics

DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103706

Authors: S. Anukriti, Catalina Herrera-Almanza, Mahesh Karra

Institutions: World Bank, World Bank Group, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Columbia University

Language: English

Topic: Reproductive Health and Contraception

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Good health and well-being, No poverty, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,590