Can Radio Serial Dramas Change Attitudes About Gender Equality? Evidence From a Longitudinal Survey of Youth in Ethiopia

Megan Klein Hattori, University of Massachusetts Boston
David P. Lindstrom , Brown University
Tefara Belachew, Jimma University, Department of Population and Family Health
Mulusew Gerbaba, Jimma University, Department of Population and Family Health

In Ethiopia, partnerships between the government and NGOs produced a number of radio dramas targeting youth and families on topics related to sexual and reproductive health, yet little is known about their effectiveness. We use data from a longitudinal survey of youth to measure the impact of listenership to radio serial dramas in general in late adolescence, and to a specific serial drama in early adulthood, on change in attitudes regarding gender equality. We find strong evidence that youth who listened to radio serial dramas in general and to the drama Yeken Kignit experienced a significant shift toward more egalitarian gender attitudes over time relative to youth who did not listen to the radio dramas, with the effects of radio drama exposure being stronger for male than female youth. Our results are consistent across models and hold up against tests for robustness, endogenous selection, and unequal trajectories.

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 Presented in Session 37. Gender Inequality Over Place and Time