J-PAL

How can we study the impacts of AI tools while the technology is moving fast? @iqbaldhali unpacks these questions and more on a new episode of @devex's podcast, Global Progress in the AI Era. Hear from Iqbal, J-PAL affiliate @deankarlan, the Agency Fund's Temina Madon, and host @catherinecheney: bit.ly/3QoQcSV

A new era: @mit_jwel has spun out of MIT Open Learning to join @JPAL! With the mission to transform education at every level – from early childhood to college – to break the cycle of poverty, J-WEL aims to improve the lives of 100 million people around the world within 5 years.

I joined @catherinecheney on @devex's Global Progress in the AI Era, along with colleagues @deankarlan and Temina Madon, to discuss AI for development and why and how evidence should be a critical part of the journey. Many thanks to all three for the engaging conversation. Give it a listen below. Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/7cv6Gk… Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/glo… Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/devex-intl/glo… YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=TZ_Es8…

Evidence is reshaping how Mexico City 🇲🇽 responds to #GBV, having informed improvements to cash transfers for #GBV survivors and a new program to challenge harmful norms among men. A collaboration with @JPAL_LAC and researchers was key to achieve this. 🔗 Read the story in our #IWD2026 blog: bit.ly/4b82h5Q

In Madhya Pradesh 🇮🇳, women’s help desks in police stations increased GBV case registration and helped survivors feel more supported. In response, help desks have scaled to 950 stations in the state, with rollout underway across India. 👮🏽‍♀️ 🔗 Read the story in our #IWD2026 blog: bit.ly/4b82h5Q

A school curriculum in India 🇮🇳 shifted how adolescents think about gender—and the effects held two years later. It now reaches 4 million students annually across ~30,000 schools. 🏫 Read the story in our #IWD2026 blog: bit.ly/4b82h5Q

A radio campaign in Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 set out to correct misinformation about the side effects of contraceptives, reaching 16M people nationwide. Adapted versions have since reached 120M people across 7 African countries 🌍. Read more stories about gender evidence in action in our #IWD2026 blog: bit.ly/4b82h5Q

"Education, grounded in data and empathy, can help address the challenges of poverty." 💡 Munip Utama shares how the #DEDP MicroMasters program empowered him to lead with evidence and create meaningful change at the nonprofit, Baitul Enza. Read his story: bit.ly/4a2Q025

What actually works to reduce election fraud, vote-buying, and political exclusion? Evidence from impact evaluations points to three key themes: trusted technology & monitoring, voter education, and civic networks that bring more women and underrepresented voices into politics. 📊 Read more in our evidence brief: bit.ly/3NSTqNA. Thanks to @FCDOResearch for supporting this important research 🙌

Brazil's 🇧🇷 first National Care Plan and care policies are being shaped by evidence — including an after‑school childcare model inspired by evidence from Chile 🇨🇱 and training for ~10,000 domestic workers. 🤝 This March, we're sharing stories of gender evidence in action. Read more in our #IWD2026 blog: bit.ly/4b82h5Q

I recently joined @AnirudhSuri on the AI Futures: The Road to India AI Impact Summit 2026 Podcast to discuss how AI is shaping the development journey of nations and the @OfficialINDIAai Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, India, which marked an important moment in global tech diplomacy. Tune in to the full conversation here: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/25WnDd… Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wil… YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=Tjy2vA… @JPAL @JPAL_SA

How does AI perform in real-world health settings? The new Evidence for AI in Health (EVAH) initiative aims to guide responsible use of AI in health systems across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, providing policymakers with practical evidence on what works. 📣 The first request for research proposals is open and focuses on evaluating AI-enabled decision support tools used by frontline community & primary health workers. 🗓 Apply by April 1, 2026. EVAH is a joint investment by @wellcometrust, @gatesfoundation & @novonordiskfdn & delivered in partnership with @JPAL & @APHRC. Learn more: bit.ly/4c7Ggor.

In India 🇮🇳, depositing wages directly in women's bank accounts + account use training helped women work more and gain financial autonomy. Now ~460,000 women are benefitting from the program. This March, we're sharing stories of gender evidence in action. 💸 Read more in our #IWD2026 blog: bit.ly/4b82h5Q.

🇲🇬 In Madagascar, addressing menstrual stigma and hygiene in schools reduced anxiety and increased learning among girls. 📚 The program is now scaling to 1,747 schools, aiming to reach 550,000 girls by 2030. This March, we're sharing stories of gender evidence in action. 🔗 Read more in our #IWD2026 blog: bit.ly/4b82h5Q.

🔎 93 million people in Europe were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024. J-PAL and @CommunityJameel are expanding the European Social Inclusion Initiative (ESII) to reach vulnerable families and fight poverty. 🌍 ESII supports new research that informs the design of policies and programs to effectively promote social inclusion in Europe. The initiative focuses on programs that help migrants, refugees, and children. With 16 studies already underway, ESII examines critical areas of social policy to ensure people can fully participate in the social and economic life of their communities. 🔗 Read the press release: bit.ly/4rL4vy9

‼️ ONE WEEK left to apply to @JPAL_NA's #ClimateActionLearningLab! Join the second cohort of dedicated US climate leaders to identify and advance effective and equitable policy solutions to climate change in the US. youtube.com/watch?v=CM97cg…

Interested in a mission-driven career change? 🚨 We're hiring a Senior HR Associate in Cambridge, MA! Join our HR team and play a key role in building an engaged, innovative team. The role provides first-level HR support, coordinates end-to-end recruitment, and partners with managers on hiring, onboarding, performance management, employee engagement, and global HR initiatives. Learn more and apply (and please share!) ➡️ bit.ly/40LgnW5

🌾 In France, school gardens are giving students hands-on environmental education rooted in practical skills. 📸 A new photo series from J-PAL Europe captures students exploring climate change, sustainability, and nature through the low-cost curriculum. Students in the program proudly shared notebooks filled with leaf rubbings, plant sketches, and garden observations—see the full photo essay at bit.ly/3NaDm9P.

Social protection programs play an important role in society. Conditional cash transfers invest in children’s health and education and reduce intergenerational poverty, and pensions can prevent the elderly from falling into poverty, among many other examples. But what does the evidence tell us about how to design better programs? Check out the new Handbook of Social Protection edited by J-PAL affiliates @rema_nadeem & @Ben_Olken, featuring 24 chapters summarizing research insights and new directions: bit.ly/4uuTiVi

🚨 New research alert! Here’s the big idea: Will giving students the tools to master foundational math and reading skills serve as a building block for broader learning? Researchers set out to answer this question by examining Zambia’s national adaptation of the Teaching at the Right Level methodology: the “Catch Up” program. The highlights: • Students made meaningful progress in foundational math and reading skills, equivalent to roughly 2-3 additional months of schooling. • In the short term, almost all of the math gains came from the very subskills the program targets, but students didn't do any better on even closely related tasks. • A separate analysis of national exam results tells a different story: by Grade 7, students exposed to Catch Up scored higher on exams testing skills far beyond what the program directly teaches. ➡️ This shows that broader learning gains from foundational instruction may not appear immediately, but can emerge years later. More key lessons for educators and policymakers: bit.ly/4bPuW0V