Gendered Impact of Economic Empowerment Interventions on Savings Behaviors Among HIV-Orphaned Adolescents in Uganda

Background: In Uganda, over 600,000 children lose one or both parents to AIDS-related causes annually. The loss of a parent to HIV/AIDS often leads to significant financial hardship for adolescents. Economic Empowerment Interventions (EEIs) have shown promise in improving savings among vulnerable populations and in buffering the effects of economic shocks. However, there is limited longitudinal evidence on how EEIs influence gender-differentiated saving behaviors among HIV-orphaned adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the impact of an EEI on saving behaviors among HIV-orphaned adolescents in Southern Uganda, and how this impact varies by gender. Methods: Data from 1,383 HIV-orphaned adolescents (10–16 years) were collected from 48 primary schools in Masaka, Uganda (2011–2016), under the Bridges to the Future study. Adolescents were eligible to participate in the study if; (1) they had lost one or both parents to HIV/ AIDS; (2) enrolled in school; (3) in the last two years of primary school; (4) between ages 10 to 16 years; and (5) living within a family. Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to assess the impact of the EEI on saving behaviors, with the intervention as the main predictor and savings behavior as the primary outcome. Results: Participants’ mean age was 12.68 years. While overall intervention effects were not statistically significant (χ²(2) = 0.14, p = 0.934), a significant group-by-time interaction (χ²(8) = 21.03, p = 0.007) indicated changes in saving behaviors over time across groups. Additionally, we examined the intervention effects on the outcome, stratified by gender. we found significant intervention-time interaction effects, for both males (χ²(8) = 17.35, p = 0.027) and females (χ²(8) = 32.06, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study findings contribute to the growing body of EEI research by demonstrating their potential to foster positive saving behaviors among HIV-orphaned adolescents in resource-limited settings. There is need for gender-responsive economic interventions that strengthen financial resilience and promote long-term economic stability among vulnerable youth in Sub-Saharan Africa.