In their RCT, “Contraceptive Adoption, Fertility, and the Family in Zambia,” Field, Ashraf and Lee (2007-2009) address the impact of men’s decision-making on the limited use of contraceptives by women among the rural population in Zambia. In general, uncontrolled, unwanted, and ill-time childbirth puts a substantial burden on women’s physical and mental health. In the present day, access to contraceptives is highly beneficial for women as it allows them to decide how many children to have. However, this access is frequently limited in rural or low-income areas, especially when women’s decision-making is limited by husbands and partners gave conflicting fertility preferences.
Internal Validity
The RCT may be regarded as internally valid – all participants were divided into two on average identical groups randomly (Field, Ashraf and Lee, 2007-2009). All women in an Individual Group who had received their vouchers privately without their husbands’ awareness took a decision concerning the use of contraceptives individually. At the same time, in the Couple Group, the husbands of all women were involved in the program. In addition, the period of two years may be regarded as valid for the measurement of results and the evaluation of the treatment’s efficiency.
External Validity
At the same, the RCT is partially valid in relation to externality. Al participants were chosen randomly and in accordance with a well-defined target population – all 749 women involved were married, aged 18–40, from low-income neighborhoods, with birth given in the past two years and lived in the catchment area of the clinic (Field, Ashraf and Lee, 2007-2009). At the same time, the delivered and designed treatment was realistic as whether women were involved in the trial or not, they had a right for access to contraceptives available in the clinic. However, the results of the study could be different as it was conducted in other area or another country with different culture and involved women with another socioeconomic status and, for instance, without children.
Empowering Girls in Rural Bangladesh
Field et al. (2007-2015) conducted the research in order to investigate what factors has the most considerable influence on the prevention of child marriages in rural Bangladesh. The expediency of this trial is determined by the fact that this country has the second highest rate of child marriages across the globe with more than 70% of women married before 18 (Field et al., 2007-2015). The study was organized to examine the efficiency of empowerment and incentives on girls’ choice of education and refusal of early marriage.
Internal Validity
In general, the trial may be regarded as internally valid, however, with certain restrictions. First of all, all participants were randomly divided into four groups and each group received treatment designed for it. However, it is impossible to evaluate to what extent participants used offered opportunities – for instance, Kishoree Kontha presupposed meetings from five to six times in a week upon the girls’ choice, thus not all participants received completely equal treatment. However, several years of the research and the evaluation of results after everal years after its completion allow to make relevant conclusions.
External Validity
The external validity of the trial is partial as well – despite the fact that all participants were chosen according to well elaborated characteristics from targeted population, the treatment cannot be regarded as fully realistic. In the framework of the trial, unmarried girls receive cooking oil staying unmarried, however, the same measures from the government or private organizations could not be guaranteed. Nevertheless, the same trial may be organized in other countries, for instance, of Sub-Saharan Africa in order to compare results.
References
Field, Erica, Nava Ashraf, and Jean Lee. Contraceptive Adoption, Fertility, and the Family in Zambia.
Field, Erica, Rachel Glennerster, Nina Buchmann, Shahana Nazneen, Svetlana Pimkina, Iman Sen. Empowering Girls in Rural Bangladesh.