Record Details

Poverty and empowerment impacts of the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project: Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Cluster-Randomized Trial

Harvard Dataverse (Africa Rice Center, Bioversity International, CCAFS, CIAT, IFPRI, IRRI and WorldFish)

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Title Poverty and empowerment impacts of the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project: Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Cluster-Randomized Trial
 
Identifier https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/LEP9KF
 
Creator International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
 
Publisher Harvard Dataverse
 
Description This study documents the impact of a government-sponsored livelihoods project using a mixed methods approach within a cluster-randomized trial. Key features of the project were the formation of women’s self-help groups, and the provision of low-cost credit through these groups. The intervention led to a dramatic increase in self-help group membership and take-up of credit through these groups, and a corresponding decline in the use of informal credit. A reduction in average informal lending interest rates was also observed. Two years after initiation of the program, significant positive impacts on asset ownership among landless households were apparent. Impacts on various indicators of women’s empowerment were mixed, and showed no clear direction when aggregated, nor was there any impact on consumption value. Given the reduction in debt service costs achieved both directly through substitution into lower-cost sources of credit and the reduction in informal interest rates, impacts of the intervention on household welfare are expected to continue to accrue over time.
 
Subject Social Sciences
Other
cluster-randomized trial
Poverty and empowerment impact
India
 
Language English
 
Contributor IFPRI-KM
Vivian Hoffmann
Biju Rao
Paromita Sanyal
Vaishnavi Surendra