39th Annual Cornelson Distinguished Lecture

Join Erica Field, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Economics at Duke University for this year’s Cornelson Lecture, "How Can Economics Research Inform Policy Approaches to Ending Child Marriage? Lessons from Field Experiments in South Asia."

Erica Field's research in South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh, demonstrates that direct financial incentives effectively reduce child marriage by offsetting dowry costs, whereas empowerment programs often fail to change marriage timing. The findings suggest that child marriage is driven by economic necessity and signaling, requiring targeted, conditional, and immediate economic interventions to delay marriage for girls.  

Free and open to the public.