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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

Two female vendors sit in front of a shop.

The importance of evidence in promoting the economic agency of women in Central America and Mexico

Globally, women are less likely than men to participate in the labor market (47 percent vs. 72 percent, respectively, as of 2022). In some Latin American countries, such as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico, participation rates are less than 45 percent. This translates to countless missed...
Two smiling women exchange a roll of fabric inside a textile factory in Zimbabwe.

Jobs and Opportunity Initiative commits first round of funds for research on entrepreneurship and enterprise development

Covid-19 has had a dramatic and lasting impact on the micro, small, and medium enterprise landscape worldwide, driving many to shut down or radically reshape the way they do business. The consequences of this shift extend beyond the firm to the livelihoods of its workers and their families...
Two women hold up their Indonesian benefits card to receive bags of rice.

Introducing J-PAL’s new Social Protection Initiative and sector

We are launching a brand new sector and initiative at J-PAL to generate rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of social protection programs and to help partners apply evidence to high-level decision-making.
Women working in a warehouse

Rigorous evaluations for humanitarian interventions: In conversation with the World Food Programme

By
J-PAL Europe recently organised a virtual training on randomised evaluations for nearly 50 representatives of humanitarian organisations with the support of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. The programme featured a presentation from Kristen McCollum, an impact evaluation analyst...
Screenshot of the DFM Chile learning platform.

Facing an educational Covid earthquake: An example of scaling up and innovating in Chile

Regardless of what happens with the new variants of Covid-19, our children’s educational process was substantially interrupted. Despite the tenacious efforts of educational communities and families, there is evidence that the negative consequences on educational achievement, socialization, emotional...
Laura Feeney and Vincent Quan

Get to know J-PAL North America’s co-executive directors

Laura Feeney and Vincent Quan discuss their backgrounds before coming to J-PAL North America, how they plan to work together as co-executive directors, and their top priorities in 2022.
teacher and students learning outdoors during the covid-19 pandemic

2022 Annual Letter from the Global Executive Director

The past year made it clear that we need to learn to live with this pandemic but not its terrible impact. As vaccines rolled out, field research began to resume and demand soared for evidence-based policy solutions to help people recover from the unprecedented economic shocks of Covid-19.