Improved menstrual health and the workplace: an RCT with female Bangladeshi garment workers

0585326 - NHU-C 2025 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Czura, K. - Menzel, Andreas - Miotto, M.
Improved menstrual health and the workplace: an RCT with female Bangladeshi garment workers.
Journal of Development Economics. Roč. 166, January (2024), č. článku 103174. ISSN 0304-3878. E-ISSN 1872-6089
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-26395S
Institutional support: Cooperatio-COOP
Keywords : menstrual health * health behavior * labor force participation
OECD category: Applied Economics, Econometrics
Impact factor: 5, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103174

Menstrual hygiene practices in low-income countries are often limited by lack of finances and information, with potentially adverse consequences for women’s well-being and workplace outcomes. In a randomized controlled trial with around 1,900 female workers from four Bangladeshi garment factories, we relax both constraints individually and jointly by providing free sanitary pads and information on hygienic menstrual practices. Both access to sanitary pads and information improve menstrual practices, either by the adoption of new products, or by knowledge gains and improved use of traditional materials, and both interventions improve health outcomes. However, these positive effects do not translate to better labor outcomes, such as earnings and work attendance.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0353035