Duncan Webb, Assistant Professor of Economics, Nova School of Business & Economics, will present new field work in a KTC Works in Progress lunch talk on April 9, 2026, at 12:30pm in Louis Simpson International Building, Room A071.

Menstrual stigma affects adolescent girls worldwide, yet its impact on human capital development remains largely unexamined. Webb will present findings from a field experiment in 140 schools in Madagascar to evaluate interventions designed to reduce menstrual stigma and promote hygiene behaviors and will break down the psychosocial mechanisms that led to improvements in girls’ learning outcomes on standardized tests. Webb will also discuss the impacts of identifying “positive deviants” – girls within schools willing to openly challenge menstrual stigma – on norm change. The results demonstrate that addressing gender-specific psychosocial barriers can substantially improve girls’ education outcomes in highly deprived contexts, while highlighting both the promise and limitations of leveraging positive deviance for social norm change.

All members of the Princeton community—undergraduates, graduate students, fellows, staff, and faculty—are invited. Lunch will be served at 12:30 with a 50 minute presentation beginning at 12:40 with time embedded for discussion. Please RSVP for lunch by March 30.

Sponsorship of an event does not constitute institutional endorsement of external speakers or views presented.