Global Development and Research Initiative

Project Background

Women in low/middle-income countries often lack financial literacy, curbing economic opportunities and household bargaining power. In rural Bangladesh, <40% adults passed basic financial literacy tests (2016), with stark gender gaps: 65% men vs 36% women had bank accounts (2017), relying heavily on informal savings/loans.
This RCT (150 randomized Khulna/Satkhira villages) tests low-cost financial diaries (biweekly tracking) vs traditional 6-module education courses (budgeting/savings/debt/services/emergencies/retirement)—alone or combined—for 2,364 literate married women aged 18-40, improving literacy, money management, empowerment, and shock resilience including COVID-19; includes experimental games measuring decision-making.

Roles of GDRI

Capacity Development and Intervention Design: Adapted diaries/training with Khulna Univ/BIDS (inflow/outflow columns/simple instructions); localized 6-module education curriculum (budgeting/savings/debt/services/emergencies/old-age).
Field Implementation and Community Engagement: Listed/recruited 2,364 women; distributed diaries, biweekly visits (30 weeks) for checks/Q&A; organized/delivered 6-week weekly 5-hr sessions (discussions/graphs/exercises); experimental games (570 subsample) for decision-making/empowerment.
Data Management, Cleaning, and Analysis: Monitored diary completeness/attendance/engagement; baseline/endline + 1-yr follow-up surveys (COVID timing) for long-term/crisis effects; high-quality anonymized datasets for literacy/savings/debt/empowerment/resilience analysis.

Our expertise lies in designing and implementing rigorous, large-scale empirical research—especially RCTs, mixed-methods studies, and impact evaluations—across education, gender, health, agriculture, crisis response, and climate adaptation in real-world Bangladeshi settings. We specialize in translating complex research questions into actionable study designs, ensuring methodological rigor while remaining sensitive to local contexts and constraints.

Our team has extensive experience in survey design, instrument development, and high-frequency data collection using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. We are proficient in managing large datasets, applying advanced econometric techniques, and ensuring data quality through robust monitoring and validation systems. From baseline to endline, we maintain strict adherence to ethical standards and research protocols.

We also excel in working closely with government agencies, NGOs, and local communities to co-design interventions and ensure policy relevance. Our work emphasizes generating evidence that is not only academically sound but also practically useful for decision-makers. We have a strong track record in producing policy briefs, academic papers, and dissemination materials tailored to diverse audiences.

In addition, we bring expertise in capacity building, training enumerators and field supervisors, and strengthening local research ecosystems. By combining technical excellence with deep contextual understanding, we aim to contribute meaningful insights that inform policy, improve program effectiveness, and drive sustainable development outcomes in Bangladesh.

Financial Diaries to Empower Rural Bangladeshi Women

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