This paper empirically assesses the relevance of women's agency for family health and domestic violence outcomes in South Asia. It discerns three forms of agency by considering how decisions are taken within the household and highlights differences in the intensity of the correlation between...

The COVID-19 pandemic is having unequal impacts. Research has highlighted that across race, gender, age, and income groups, the health and economic consequences of this crisis are far from uniform and other preexisting inequalities have been exacerbated. This paper focuses on the differential...

Informality remains widespread in South Asia despite decades of economic growth. The low earnings and high vulnerability in the informal sector make this a major development issue for the region. Yet, there is no consensus on its causes and consequences, with the debate polarized between a view...

Understanding how e-commerce platforms are affecting the small, informal firms that sell on them is a question of growing importance to researchers and policy makers in developing countries. This paper examines this question using data from surveys of firms selling on two e-commerce platforms in...

The information set from which individuals make their decision on vaccination includes signals from trusted agents, such as governments, community leaders, and the media. By implementing restrictions, or by relaxing them, governments can provide a signal about the underlying risk of the pandemic...

Despite decades of economic growth, gender inequality in South Asia remains remarkably high. Although not the only one, social norms are a crucial driver of various gender outcomes, including differential economic participation. Using repeated cross-sectional data from nationally representative...