Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
Despite the popularity and the unique nature of women's self-help groups in India, evidence on the economic impact of these groups is scant. On the basis of two rounds of surveys of 2,517 households, we use a strategy of double differences and propensity score matching to assess the economic effects of a program that promoted and strengthened self-help groups in Andhra Pradesh in India. Our analysis finds that longer exposure to the program has a positive impact on consumption, nutritional intake, and asset accumulation. Our investigation into the heterogeneity of these effects suggests that even the poorest households are able to benefit from the program. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.