Skip to main content
  • Our expertise
    • Evidence mapping
    • Impact evaluation
    • Synthesis
    • Evidence impact
    • Replication
    • Capacity development
    • Research transparency
    • Services
    • Advocacy

    3ie invented evidence gap maps to improve decision-making around where to make investments in producing more evidence or synthesising existing evidence. Since then, we have pioneered further advancements, including developing our interactive online map platform and innovating evidence mapping to broaden its use in development decision-making.

    3ie funds and quality assures formative and impact evaluations of development programmes in low- and middle-income countries. These evaluations provide crucial evidence on what works, for whom, why and at what cost. On our website, we host the largest-of-its-kind impact evaluation repository that includes summaries of both 3ie-funded and other studies.

    We are global leaders in producing and assuring the quality of theory-based systematic reviews of the effectiveness of development interventions. 3ie continues to innovate and improve synthesis and systematic review methodologies and the uptake and use of synthesised evidence.

    3ie specialises in increasing access to, demand for and use of evidence by governments, parliaments, programme managers, civil society, programme participants and the media. We do this by emphasising the value of planning and engaging with stakeholders to ensure that evaluations and reviews are relevant and useful. We use robust and effective monitoring to measure evidence use so that we can convey evidence impact on programmes and policies with greater confidence.

    We set up our replication programme to address the need for a freely available global public good that helps improve the quality and reliability of impact evaluation evidence used for development decision-making. Replication is the most established method of research validation in science, yet it has not been fully embraced by the research community or development donors, leading to this gap.

    3ie’s evidence programmes and services help build technical capacity to commission and conduct rigorous evaluations, produce evidence gap maps, conduct evidence synthesis and use evidence. We also work with L&MIC governments to build effective monitoring and evaluation systems. 3ie’s bursary programme supports L&MIC policymakers, programme managers and researchers to participate in specialised training and international events.

    3ie has always been strongly committed to research transparency and open access to data. We are proud to be a leader in the growing movement to improve global standards for research transparency.

    On request, 3ie provides services to partners for supporting the generation and use of evidence to inform their development policies and programmes. We commission and quality assure evidence gap maps, evaluations and syntheses as well as provide training.

    3ie plays a unique role in promoting collaboration among researchers, policymakers and development programme managers at country, regional and global levels. Our global advocacy for evidence-informed action helps ensure decision makers have quality evidence about what works when they need it.

  • Evidence hub
    • Impact evaluation repository
    • Systematic review repository
    • Evidence gap maps
    • Replication studies
    • Publications
    • RIDIE

    Searching this database will bring up published impact evaluations from our Impact Evaluation Repository as well as completed 3ie-funded impact evaluations.

    This repository includes summaries of systematic reviews drawn from a range of sources and sectors. The summaries include findings, methodologies and quality appraisal of existing reviews and protocols of ongoing studies.

    These provide a visual display of completed and ongoing systematic reviews and impact evaluations in a sector or sub-sector, structured around a framework of interventions and outcomes.

    We provide funding for replications, conduct in-house replication research and publish guidance on replication methodology. We also provide funding to original authors of 3ie-funded for preparing their raw datasets.

    As part of our mandate as a knowledge producer and translator for our main audiences, we publish a range of knowledge products. These include briefs, impact evaluation reports, systematic review reports and summaries, replication papers, evidence gap map reports, scoping reports and working papers.

    3ie’s Registry for International Development Impact Evaluations (RIDIE) aims to enhance the transparency and quality of impact evaluation research before it begins.

  • Our work
      • Agriculture
      • Education
      • Environment
      • Governance
      • Health
      • Humanitarian
      • Infrastructure
      • Livelihoods
      • Public finance
      • Social protection
      • Water, sanitation and hygiene
    • Working with governments
      • Philippines
      • Uganda
      • West Africa Capacity-buidling and Impact Evaluation
    • Replication
      • Replication Programme on Financial Services for the Poor
      • Replication programme on HIV prevention

    3ie’s evidence programmes support studies to fill critical knowledge gaps in a sector, sub-sector or in an area with limited rigorous evidence. We fund studies under a specific theme or which address a particular question or set of questions in programme areas where our donors want to expand global public knowledge of what works and what does not.

    To help address gaps in the understanding of what works and what does not, we fund a variety of studies across this programme area, including interventions focused on insurance, extension, land-use and forestry, and innovation and technology.

    3ie supports impact evaluations, systematic reviews and evidence gap maps on education effectiveness that help answer the questions of what works, for whom, why and at what cost.

    We fund the production of rigorous evidence on biodiversity and forest conservation programmes, environmental regulations, impact of sustainable fuels, climate change mitigation and adaptation.

    3ie is supporting the generation of evidence in areas such as transparency and accountability in natural resource governance. We also fund the production of rigorous evidence on interventions to curb corruption, judicial and civil service reforms, land reforms, public financial management, conflict prevention and peacebuilding, decentralised governance and public service delivery.

    We fund the production of rigorous evidence on interventions on HIV and AIDS, immunisation maternal and child health, nutrition and sexual and reproductive health through a number of evidence programmes. Evidence products from these programmes include replication studies, evidence gap maps, systematic reviews and impact evaluations.

    We are supporting the generation of rigorous evidence in humanitarian contexts on interventions related to water, sanitation and hygiene, food security, multi-sectoral humanitarian programming and interventions targeting malnutrition.

    We fund the production of rigorous evidence on the socio-economic and environmental impacts of public transportation by rail, bus and rapid transit systems, and essential services such as electricity and gas to expand access, foster inclusive growth, and combat climate change through sustainable systems.

    3ie, in collaboration with India’s rural development ministry is working to generate rigorous evidence on the impact of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

    We support policy-relevant studies that contribute to improving our understanding of public expenditure trends and improving the delivery of public goods.

    We support impact evaluations to build the evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions that reduce the risks faced by the poor through participation in public works and employment programmes.

    3ie’s has two major evidence programmes that support the generation and use of high-quality evidence for informing decision-making in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector

    .

    We work with various departments in the Philippines government to develop and fund rigorous evidence useful for policymakers. We also support capacity-building activities for Philippine researchers and support the impact evaluation management framework of the National Economic and Development Authority.

    Working in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister, the primary aim is to improve developmental outcomes through evidence-informed decision making in Uganda. 3ie is currently supporting evaluation of government programmes around youth livelihood, family planning, public service delivery and local governance, and universal primary education.

    3ie and the government of Benin are working on a a multi-year regional initiative that aims to promote the institutionalization of evaluation in government systems across eight countries in West Africa, including: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
     

    .

    3ie funds internal replications of influential or innovative impact evaluations of financial interventions on mobile money, cash transfers, bank deposits, and other financial service interventions targeted towards underserved and unbanked populations in developing countries.

    3ie funds internal replications of influential or innovative impact evaluations of biomedical, behavioural, social, and structural HIV prevention and treatment interventions to improve the evidence base in low- and middle-income countries.

  • Funding
    • Open opportunities
    • Bursary programme

    View our current funding opportunities for evaluations, systematic reviews and internal replication studies.

    3ie’s bursary programme offers funding for individuals to attend workshops and conferences related to impact evaluations and systematic reviews.

  • About us
    • What drives us
    • Meet the team
    • Governance
    • Members
    • 3ie supporters
    • Partners
    • Institutional policies and reports
    • 3ie at a glance
    • Jobs
    • Contact us
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Media room
  • Newsletter
  • Resources
    • Impact evaluation glossary
    • Video lectures
    • Publications
    • Journal of Development Effectiveness
  • Our expertise
    • Evidence mapping
    • Impact evaluation
    • Synthesis
    • Evidence impact
    • Replication
    • Capacity development
    • Research transparency
    • Services
    • Advocacy

    3ie invented evidence gap maps to improve decision-making around where to make investments in producing more evidence or synthesising existing evidence. Since then, we have pioneered further advancements, including developing our interactive online map platform and innovating evidence mapping to broaden its use in development decision-making.

    3ie funds and quality assures formative and impact evaluations of development programmes in low- and middle-income countries. These evaluations provide crucial evidence on what works, for whom, why and at what cost. On our website, we host the largest-of-its-kind impact evaluation repository that includes summaries of both 3ie-funded and other studies.

    We are global leaders in producing and assuring the quality of theory-based systematic reviews of the effectiveness of development interventions. 3ie continues to innovate and improve synthesis and systematic review methodologies and the uptake and use of synthesised evidence.

    3ie specialises in increasing access to, demand for and use of evidence by governments, parliaments, programme managers, civil society, programme participants and the media. We do this by emphasising the value of planning and engaging with stakeholders to ensure that evaluations and reviews are relevant and useful. We use robust and effective monitoring to measure evidence use so that we can convey evidence impact on programmes and policies with greater confidence.

    We set up our replication programme to address the need for a freely available global public good that helps improve the quality and reliability of impact evaluation evidence used for development decision-making. Replication is the most established method of research validation in science, yet it has not been fully embraced by the research community or development donors, leading to this gap.

    3ie’s evidence programmes and services help build technical capacity to commission and conduct rigorous evaluations, produce evidence gap maps, conduct evidence synthesis and use evidence. We also work with L&MIC governments to build effective monitoring and evaluation systems. 3ie’s bursary programme supports L&MIC policymakers, programme managers and researchers to participate in specialised training and international events.

    3ie has always been strongly committed to research transparency and open access to data. We are proud to be a leader in the growing movement to improve global standards for research transparency.

    On request, 3ie provides services to partners for supporting the generation and use of evidence to inform their development policies and programmes. We commission and quality assure evidence gap maps, evaluations and syntheses as well as provide training.

    3ie plays a unique role in promoting collaboration among researchers, policymakers and development programme managers at country, regional and global levels. Our global advocacy for evidence-informed action helps ensure decision makers have quality evidence about what works when they need it.

  • Evidence hub
    • Impact evaluation repository
    • Systematic review repository
    • Evidence gap maps
    • Replication studies
    • Publications
    • RIDIE

    Searching this database will bring up published impact evaluations from our Impact Evaluation Repository as well as completed 3ie-funded impact evaluations.

    This repository includes summaries of systematic reviews drawn from a range of sources and sectors. The summaries include findings, methodologies and quality appraisal of existing reviews and protocols of ongoing studies.

    These provide a visual display of completed and ongoing systematic reviews and impact evaluations in a sector or sub-sector, structured around a framework of interventions and outcomes.

    We provide funding for replications, conduct in-house replication research and publish guidance on replication methodology. We also provide funding to original authors of 3ie-funded for preparing their raw datasets.

    As part of our mandate as a knowledge producer and translator for our main audiences, we publish a range of knowledge products. These include briefs, impact evaluation reports, systematic review reports and summaries, replication papers, evidence gap map reports, scoping reports and working papers.

    3ie’s Registry for International Development Impact Evaluations (RIDIE) aims to enhance the transparency and quality of impact evaluation research before it begins.

  • Our work
      • Agriculture
      • Education
      • Environment
      • Governance
      • Health
      • Humanitarian
      • Infrastructure
      • Livelihoods
      • Public finance
      • Social protection
      • Water, sanitation and hygiene
    • Working with governments
      • Philippines
      • Uganda
      • West Africa Capacity-buidling and Impact Evaluation
    • Replication
      • Replication Programme on Financial Services for the Poor
      • Replication programme on HIV prevention

    3ie’s evidence programmes support studies to fill critical knowledge gaps in a sector, sub-sector or in an area with limited rigorous evidence. We fund studies under a specific theme or which address a particular question or set of questions in programme areas where our donors want to expand global public knowledge of what works and what does not.

    To help address gaps in the understanding of what works and what does not, we fund a variety of studies across this programme area, including interventions focused on insurance, extension, land-use and forestry, and innovation and technology.

    3ie supports impact evaluations, systematic reviews and evidence gap maps on education effectiveness that help answer the questions of what works, for whom, why and at what cost.

    We fund the production of rigorous evidence on biodiversity and forest conservation programmes, environmental regulations, impact of sustainable fuels, climate change mitigation and adaptation.

    3ie is supporting the generation of evidence in areas such as transparency and accountability in natural resource governance. We also fund the production of rigorous evidence on interventions to curb corruption, judicial and civil service reforms, land reforms, public financial management, conflict prevention and peacebuilding, decentralised governance and public service delivery.

    We fund the production of rigorous evidence on interventions on HIV and AIDS, immunisation maternal and child health, nutrition and sexual and reproductive health through a number of evidence programmes. Evidence products from these programmes include replication studies, evidence gap maps, systematic reviews and impact evaluations.

    We are supporting the generation of rigorous evidence in humanitarian contexts on interventions related to water, sanitation and hygiene, food security, multi-sectoral humanitarian programming and interventions targeting malnutrition.

    We fund the production of rigorous evidence on the socio-economic and environmental impacts of public transportation by rail, bus and rapid transit systems, and essential services such as electricity and gas to expand access, foster inclusive growth, and combat climate change through sustainable systems.

    3ie, in collaboration with India’s rural development ministry is working to generate rigorous evidence on the impact of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

    We support policy-relevant studies that contribute to improving our understanding of public expenditure trends and improving the delivery of public goods.

    We support impact evaluations to build the evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions that reduce the risks faced by the poor through participation in public works and employment programmes.

    3ie’s has two major evidence programmes that support the generation and use of high-quality evidence for informing decision-making in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector

    .

    We work with various departments in the Philippines government to develop and fund rigorous evidence useful for policymakers. We also support capacity-building activities for Philippine researchers and support the impact evaluation management framework of the National Economic and Development Authority.

    Working in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister, the primary aim is to improve developmental outcomes through evidence-informed decision making in Uganda. 3ie is currently supporting evaluation of government programmes around youth livelihood, family planning, public service delivery and local governance, and universal primary education.

    3ie and the government of Benin are working on a a multi-year regional initiative that aims to promote the institutionalization of evaluation in government systems across eight countries in West Africa, including: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
     

    .

    3ie funds internal replications of influential or innovative impact evaluations of financial interventions on mobile money, cash transfers, bank deposits, and other financial service interventions targeted towards underserved and unbanked populations in developing countries.

    3ie funds internal replications of influential or innovative impact evaluations of biomedical, behavioural, social, and structural HIV prevention and treatment interventions to improve the evidence base in low- and middle-income countries.

  • Funding
    • Open opportunities
    • Bursary programme

    View our current funding opportunities for evaluations, systematic reviews and internal replication studies.

    3ie’s bursary programme offers funding for individuals to attend workshops and conferences related to impact evaluations and systematic reviews.

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Evidence hub
  3. Systematic review repository
  4. Vocational and business training to improve women's labour market outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Vocational and business training to improve women's labour market outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Systematic review
  • Summary

  • 3ie funded

  • 3ie quality assured

Author: Marjorie Chinen, Thomas de Hoop, Mar'a Balarin, Lorena Alc'zar, Josh Sennett, Julian Mezarina
Region: Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, All Low and Middle Income Countries
Sector: Social Assistance, Vocational/ Technical Education & Training
Equity Focus: Gender
Review Type: Effectiveness review
Status: Review

"These studies have been 3ie funded"

"These studies have been 3ie funded"

Publication details

Chinen, M, De Hoop, T, Balarin, M, Alc'zar, L, Sennett, J, and Mezarina, J, 2018. Vocational and business training to improve women's labour market outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review. 3ie Systematic Review 40. London: International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie).

    Tools

  • Link to source
  • Print Page
  • Share this page

Background

Whilst women's participation in the labour market has greatly increased globally, evidence indicates that the types of jobs available to them are still limited. Due to institutional, societal and structural barriers, women receive fewer opportunities for learning and advancement than their male counterparts do. This generates a gender gap in skills development, which disproportionately leaves women in low-skill, and therefore low-paying, jobs and reinforces gender inequalities. One approach to increasing the skill level of adult women and men is through vocational and business training programmes. Vocational training programmes focus on preparing participants for jobs within a specific sector, whilst business training programmes develop business management and entrepreneurial skills.

Research objectives

The primary objective of this review is to synthesise the evidence on the effects of vocational and business training programmes that aim to improve women's labour market outcomes. The secondary objective is to improve our understanding of the barriers to and facilitators of vocational and business training effectiveness for women, and how these barriers and facilitators operate.

Methodology

The authors included studies on the impacts of vocational or business training programmes that targeted women who were 18 years or older in low- or middle-income countries. They excluded studies on programmes that exclusively targeted men and ones that trained women in very low-skill occupations. They included quantitative studies with experimental designs using random assignment, as well as quasi-experimental designs with non-random assignment (including regression discontinuity designs, natural experiments, and studies where participants self-select into the programme). They further included qualitative and mixed-methods studies that contained evidence on the barriers and facilitators of programme effectiveness. All of the included studies published after 1990 in either English or Spanish. The authors searched electronic databases, grey literature, relevant journals, and institutional websites in July ' September 2015 and July ' September 2016.

Two authors independently screened studies for inclusion and extracted the relevant data. They assessed all the studies for risk of bias and overall quality. The impacts, and barriers and facilitators, were synthesised by meta-analysis and narrative synthesis respectively.

 

Findings

Headline Findings: a summary statement

Vocational training, on average, leads to minor improvements in the economic outcomes for women in low- and middle-income countries. Business training also has a positive effect when combined with cash transfers or life skills training. The studies suggest that programmes with a gender focus have a larger impact on women.

Evidence Base

For the main analysis, the review includes 35 quantitative impact evaluations, covering 30 separate interventions and 15 additional qualitative or mixed-method studies for looking at barriers and facilitators. Of the quantitative studies, 19 evaluate vocational training programmes, 12 look at business training programmes, and 4 examine interventions with elements from both. The authors also fully characterise the interventions using an additional 93 supporting documents.

The studies come from a wide variety of low- and middle-income countries, including Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, C'te d'Ivoire, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Nepal, India, Jordan and Turkey.

Implications for policy and practice

A meta-analysis of vocational training programmes suggests that, on average, they increase the likelihood of any employment by 11% (95% CI = 3%, 18%) and formal employment by 8% (95% CI = 0%, 18%). The average effect on earnings is 5.54% (95% CI = 2.50%, 8.96%). They seem to have a significantly higher effect in Africa and Asia than other regions. The effectiveness of the programmes for women seemed to improve when there was a gender focus, but internships and life skills training seem to have no effect.

On average, business training combined with either cash transfers or life training skills increase the likelihood of self-employment by 73% (95% CI = 28%, 109%) and sales/profits by 6.83% (95% CI = 0.15%, 9.95%). There is tentative evidence to suggest that a gender focus improves outcomes for women, particularly in terms of profits. These also increase when mentoring and technical assistance components are included.

The main barriers to programme effectiveness are structural conditions (such as cost of transportation, time constraints, and labour market barriers) and gender norms (such as occupational segregation, and the cost of childcare). The sustainability of programme effects is unclear and may benefit from follow-up training.

Implications for further research

There is a need for more rigorous randomised controlled trials and higher-quality quasi-experimental studies. Most of the existing studies fail to deal with selection bias adequately and therefore may be overestimating the impact of the programmes. Trials with multiple arms and mixed-method research would improve understanding of the causal pathways and the impact of the varying programme components. Finally, more research is needed on the sustainability of outcomes.

Additional publications

  • Vocational and business training to improve women's labour market outcomes in low- and middle-income countries

Quality assessment

The authors use appropriate methods when searching for studies, screening them, extracting the data, and analysing effect sizes. They are also careful to highlight any limitations in their data or conclusions. However, the review is limited because of a language bias, as only studies published in English or Spanish were included.

Thank you for your interest in this publication

Footer menu

Our expertise

  • Evidence mapping
  • Impact evaluation
  • Synthesis
  • Evidence impact
  • Replication
  • Capacity development
  • Research transparency
  • Services
  • Advocacy

Evidence hub

  • Impact evaluation repository
  • Systematic review repository
  • Evidence gap maps
  • Publications
  • RIDIE

Our work

  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Governance
  • Health
  • Humanitarian
  • Infrastructure
  • Livelihoods
  • Public finance
  • Social protection
  • Water, sanitation and hygiene
  • Philippines
  • Uganda
  • West Africa Capacity-building and Impact Evaluation
  • Replication Programme on Financial services for the poor
  • Replication Programme on HIV Prevention

Funding

  • Open opportunities
  • Bursary programme
  • Copyright © 2019 International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie)
  • All rights reserved
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy policy