Driving Change : How Road Improvement Shapes Female Educational Attainment in the Democratic Republic of Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), less than 40% of girls completed lower secondary education in 2018. This paper investigates how improved road can enhanced educational opportunities for girls in the DRC. The study employs a Difference-in- Difference (DiD) approach to assess the impact of the improvement of the National Road n°1 on girl’s educational outcomes. The findings reveal that road improvement significantly boost secondary school completion for girls. However, no notable impact on primary school completion is induced. The mechanisms suggests a spatial sorting of educated individuals around the minimal distance to the road threshold with decreasing commute costs and a trade-off between job opportunities and investment in human capital.