The academic seminar held on April 8th at the Faculty of Administration and Economics at Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH) gathered speakers from various national institutions. Our associate, Marcela Mello, presented her paper “Religious Mayors, Teenage Pregnancy, and Sexual Education in Schools.” This project explores the impact of electing mayors affiliated with Pentecostal parties on teenage pregnancy rates and the provision of sexual education in public schools.
The researcher analyzes close mayor elections in Brazil to estimate causal effects. The findings reveal that in municipalities where Pentecostal-affiliated mayors narrowly won, there was a 15% increase in teenage birth rates. The mechanism identified is the reduction of sexual education activities in municipal schools—an area where mayors hold direct influence through the appointment of school principals. The study finds no effect in state-run schools, where mayoral influence is limited.
Professor Mello described the seminar as a valuable academic experience: “I received great feedback on my research and truly enjoyed visiting the campus—especially its historic section,” she shared.
