We investigate the role of social and intra-household norms in women’s decision to hide money from their male household members through artefactual field experiments with microfinance clients receiving start-up loans and training as part of a RCT in Pakistan. We find that hiding is positively correlated with women’s sense of entitlement over their own earnings and with their male household members’ lack of respect over their earned property, and negatively correlated with their agency within the household. Finally, we find that this agency can be influenced by experiences outside the household, namely agency is positively impacted by being treated within the RCT.
