NOVAFRICA Featured Papers: International Workers’ Day
🌍 Celebrating Workers Around the WorldÂ
On this International Workers’ Day, we honor the resilience, contributions, and aspirations of workers everywhere. At NOVAFRICA, we contribute to this dialogue through research that highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by workers across Africa and beyond.
Here are some of our key studies:
Motivating Volunteer Health Workers in an African Capital City
By Mattia Fracchia, Teresa Molina-Millán, and Pedro C. Vicente
In Guinea-Bissau, offering volunteer health workers social status recognition—more than monetary or career incentives—proved the most effective way to boost motivation and performance.
Published in: Journal of Development Economics (2023)
 Read more ➔
Gangs, Labor Mobility, and Development
By Nikita Melnikov, Carlos Schmidt-Padilla, and MarĂa Micaela Sviatschi
In El Salvador, gang violence restricts labor mobility, limiting workers’ income opportunities and undermining economic growth.
Accepted for publication in: Econometrica (2025)
 Read more ➔
Closing the Gender Profit Gap
By Catia Batista, Sandra Sequeira, and Pedro C. Vicente
Exploring how gender disparities in profits among entrepreneurs can be narrowed, promoting a more equitable environment for women in business.
Published in: Management Science (2022)
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Artisanal Mining in Africa
By Victoire Girard, Teresa Molina-Millán, and Guillaume Vic
This study explores how artisanal gold mining affects household wealth, environmental sustainability, and the prevalence of child labor across African regions.
Accepted for publication in: Economic Journal (2025)
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✨ This Workers’ Day, we reaffirm our commitment to research that uplifts workers, strengthens communities, and supports sustainable and inclusive development.
