Girl Empower—A gender transformative mentoring and cash transfer intervention to promote adolescent wellbeing: Impact findings from a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Liberia
Violence against women and children are closely linked global epidemics that have lifelong impacts on human welfare. This study examines the impact of adding cash transfers to a mentoring intervention targeted to girls in early adolescence. Girl Empower has positive impacts on some important outcomes, but is ineffective in protecting girls from sexual violence. Cash transfers, tied to attendance, enhanced program impacts on child marriage, teen pregnancy, and risky sexual behavior. Future research is needed to understand whether cash affects these outcomes directly or through an interaction effect.