Childcare, labor supply, and business development: Experimental Evidence from Uganda: Policy brief

Findings from a field experiment to understand the impact of free childcare on the mother’s business development and labour supply

Abstract

Social norms, market imperfections and the structure of the labour market may limit women’s labour market opportunities in low-income contexts. While access to childcare has been critical for mothers’ labour supply in many high-income countries, it remains an open question whether it can improve maternal labour market outcomes in low-in- come settings and how it affects other household members. We present findings from a field experiment that we designed and implemented in Uganda to understand the impact of free childcare on the mother’s business development and labour supply. More- over, we add to the literature by also considering the impact of childcare on the labour supply of other household members, as well as a range of outcomes related to family welfare, including child development.

This research is part of the Gender, Growth and Labour Markets in Low Income Countries programme

Citation

Nasgowitz, A., Ferris, D., Bjorvatn, K., Vandewalle, L., Gulesci, S., & Somville, V. (2023). “Childcare, Labor Supply, and Business Development: Experimental Evidence from Uganda.” G2LM LIC Policy Brief No. 61

Childcare, labor supply, and business development: Experimental Evidence from Uganda

Updates to this page

Published 30 September 2023