The Power of Elites in Encouraging Women's Work: Evidence from Rohingya Refugee Camps

Female labor force participation among the Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazaar remains stubbornly low. In this project, we study whether directed sessions with local religious leaders can shift attitudes towards women's work and can encourage the establishment of community-run safe travel systems, in which community members accompany women from their home to their workplace. Our research will shed light on the role of leaders (in this case religious ones) in shaping community-wide attitudes. It will also test whether community-run interventions can ease safety concerns for women, thereby increasing their mobility and labor force participation.