10.7910/DVN/LEP9KF International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Harvard Dataverse 2017 Social Sciences Other cluster-randomized trial Poverty and empowerment impact India International Food Policy Research Institue (IFPRI) International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) IFPRI-Data International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Vivian Hoffmann Vivian Hoffmann Biju Rao Paromita Sanyal Vaishnavi Surendra Vaishnavi Surendra 2017-06-21 2017-06-29 2011-01-01/2015-12-31 2011-07-01/2015-12-31 10.7910/DVN/LEP9KF/2LILC9 10.7910/DVN/LEP9KF/HVG2Q4 10.7910/DVN/LEP9KF/Y9RDBE 10.7910/DVN/LEP9KF/06RSMV 142760 3313145 545643 9223 application/x-stata application/x-stata application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document application/x-stata-syntax 1.0 Custom terms specific to this dataset This study documents the impact of a government-sponsored livelihoods project using a mixed methods approach within a cluster-randomized trial. Key features of the project were the formation of women’s self-help groups, and the provision of low-cost credit through these groups. The intervention led to a dramatic increase in self-help group membership and take-up of credit through these groups, and a corresponding decline in the use of informal credit. A reduction in average informal lending interest rates was also observed. Two years after initiation of the program, significant positive impacts on asset ownership among landless households were apparent. Impacts on various indicators of women’s empowerment were mixed, and showed no clear direction when aggregated, nor was there any impact on consumption value. Given the reduction in debt service costs achieved both directly through substitution into lower-cost sources of credit and the reduction in informal interest rates, impacts of the intervention on household welfare are expected to continue to accrue over time. Household- and Community-level Surveys Washington, D.C. The ambit of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) of India