Bridging gender gaps in political participation: Experimental evidence on group-based trainings from Nigeria
Women’s political participation remains persistently lower than men’s worldwide. While barriers to women’s civic engagement are well documented, there is limited causal evidence on how to effectively close gender gaps in participation. This study evaluates whether a group-based training intervention...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Artículo preliminar |
| Language: | Inglés |
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International Food Policy Research Institute
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180330 |
| _version_ | 1855522798708981760 |
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| author | Adida, Claire Kosec, Katrina Kyle, Jordan Mo, Cecilia Hyunjung Arriola, Leonardo Matanock, Aila Adeyanju, Dolapo Fisher, Rachel |
| author_browse | Adeyanju, Dolapo Adida, Claire Arriola, Leonardo Fisher, Rachel Kosec, Katrina Kyle, Jordan Matanock, Aila Mo, Cecilia Hyunjung |
| author_facet | Adida, Claire Kosec, Katrina Kyle, Jordan Mo, Cecilia Hyunjung Arriola, Leonardo Matanock, Aila Adeyanju, Dolapo Fisher, Rachel |
| author_sort | Adida, Claire |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Women’s political participation remains persistently lower than men’s worldwide. While barriers to women’s civic engagement are well documented, there is limited causal evidence on how to effectively close gender gaps in participation. This study evaluates whether a group-based training intervention can enhance women’s engagement in local governance. In a randomized controlled trial across 300 communities in rural southwest Nigeria, we recruited 3,900 politically unaffiliated women into newly formed women’s action committees (WACs). Control WACs received a single civic education training, while treatment WACs received five additional trainings aimed at strengthening women’s collective efficacy over the course of six months. Leveraging baseline (May–July 2023) and endline (January—February 2024) surveys alongside behavioral data from a community grants competition, we find that the intervention significantly increased both the level and quality of women’s political participation. Treated communities also exhibited greater responsiveness by local leaders to women’s needs and priorities. These findings show that group-based interventions can meaningfully and scalably narrow gender gaps in civic participation. |
| format | Artículo preliminar |
| id | CGSpace180330 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1803302026-01-22T02:05:44Z Bridging gender gaps in political participation: Experimental evidence on group-based trainings from Nigeria Adida, Claire Kosec, Katrina Kyle, Jordan Mo, Cecilia Hyunjung Arriola, Leonardo Matanock, Aila Adeyanju, Dolapo Fisher, Rachel gender capacity building governance women's empowerment randomized controlled trials gender-transformative approaches political systems women's participation Women’s political participation remains persistently lower than men’s worldwide. While barriers to women’s civic engagement are well documented, there is limited causal evidence on how to effectively close gender gaps in participation. This study evaluates whether a group-based training intervention can enhance women’s engagement in local governance. In a randomized controlled trial across 300 communities in rural southwest Nigeria, we recruited 3,900 politically unaffiliated women into newly formed women’s action committees (WACs). Control WACs received a single civic education training, while treatment WACs received five additional trainings aimed at strengthening women’s collective efficacy over the course of six months. Leveraging baseline (May–July 2023) and endline (January—February 2024) surveys alongside behavioral data from a community grants competition, we find that the intervention significantly increased both the level and quality of women’s political participation. Treated communities also exhibited greater responsiveness by local leaders to women’s needs and priorities. These findings show that group-based interventions can meaningfully and scalably narrow gender gaps in civic participation. 2025-12-31 2026-01-21T18:56:08Z 2026-01-21T18:56:08Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180330 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173032 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/135815 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/132776 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159700 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159845 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Adida, Claire; Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Mo, Cecilia Hyunjung; Arriola, Leonardo; et al. 2025. Bridging gender gaps in political participation: Experimental evidence on group-based trainings from Nigeria. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2399. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180330 |
| spellingShingle | gender capacity building governance women's empowerment randomized controlled trials gender-transformative approaches political systems women's participation Adida, Claire Kosec, Katrina Kyle, Jordan Mo, Cecilia Hyunjung Arriola, Leonardo Matanock, Aila Adeyanju, Dolapo Fisher, Rachel Bridging gender gaps in political participation: Experimental evidence on group-based trainings from Nigeria |
| title | Bridging gender gaps in political participation: Experimental evidence on group-based trainings from Nigeria |
| title_full | Bridging gender gaps in political participation: Experimental evidence on group-based trainings from Nigeria |
| title_fullStr | Bridging gender gaps in political participation: Experimental evidence on group-based trainings from Nigeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bridging gender gaps in political participation: Experimental evidence on group-based trainings from Nigeria |
| title_short | Bridging gender gaps in political participation: Experimental evidence on group-based trainings from Nigeria |
| title_sort | bridging gender gaps in political participation experimental evidence on group based trainings from nigeria |
| topic | gender capacity building governance women's empowerment randomized controlled trials gender-transformative approaches political systems women's participation |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180330 |
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