Inspiring women: Experimental evidence on sharing entrepreneurial skills in Uganda

People living with HIV, in particular women, are often a vulnerable and marginalized group in developing countries. This paper presents the results of a randomized controlled trial designed to test the impact of role models on the livelihoods of women living with HIV in Uganda. Participants in our treatment group were exposed to the screening of short videos of role models telling their personal stories of the challenges and rewards of setting up a business. The videos were screened at HIV clinics over the space of one year. We find that the role models intervention has a positive effect on the probability of starting a business, personal income and income from enterprises and crops. The intervention improves the health of women and children and reduces the probability that children are absent from school. Moreover, women exposed to the videos increase their informal savings. Our results show that providing vulnerable women with role models that empower them to start their own enterprise activities can be effective in improving welfare outcomes.