Felix Rusche wins the FBK-IRVAPP 2025 award for the best article on the evaluation of public policies
The media as an effective tool to counter gender inequality
Felix Rusche has been awarded the 2025 Best Paper Award for the top scientific article on public policy evaluation, presented by FBK-IRVAPP. He is a PhD student in Economics at the University of Mannheim and will be joining Matthias Sutter’s research group in September.
Rusche’s study, Broadcasting Change: India’s Community Radio Policy and Women’s Empowerment, investigates how media can serve as a public policy instrument to foster women’s empowerment. Specifically, it examines the impact of community radio in India, following a 2006 policy reform that enabled NGOs and educational institutions to obtain broadcasting licenses to support local development initiatives.
Using original data on the content and reach of over 250 radio stations, the research reveals that women’s empowerment has been a consistent focus in community radio programming. The findings are compelling: access to radio is linked to an average increase of 0.3 years in female education and an 11% higher probability of completing secondary school. Moreover, the study shows a 22% decrease in underage marriages and a 21% increase in women’s involvement in family decision-making. These results underscore the powerful role community media can play in addressing gender-based inequalities.
The institute warmly congratulates.