Maureen Were

Bio: Maureen Were is an academic researcher from Central Bank of Kenya. The author has contributed to research in topics: Monetary policy & Interest rate. The author has an hindex of 12, co-authored 28 publications receiving 812 citations. Previous affiliations of Maureen Were include Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis.

Determinants of teenage pregnancies: the case of Busia District in Kenya.

Abstract: Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest levels of teenage pregnancies in the world. In spite of that, there is paucity of empirical research on causes of teenage pregnancies in African countries. This paper investigates the determinants of teenage pregnancies based on a case study of Busia District in Kenya. The data are from a household survey conducted in 1998/1999. Empirical results indicate that girls' education level has significant influence on the probability of teenage birth, with non-schooling adolescents and those with primary school level education being more vulnerable. Among the variables used as proxies for access to sex education, availability of church forums that educate adolescents about sex and family life issues reduce probability of teenage pregnancy. Age is positively related to teenage pregnancies, with older adolescents being more predisposed to pregnancies. Though use of contraceptives is found to have a positive effect, only a small proportion of adolescents were using modern contraceptives and, supply side factors such as quality and availability were not accounted for. Other key factors as outlined by the adolescents themselves include peer pressure and social environment-related factors like inappropriate forms of recreation, which act as rendezvous for pre-marital sex, as well as lack of parental guidance and counselling. Overall, lack of access to education opportunities, sex education and information regarding contraceptives, as well the widespread poverty predispose girls to teenage pregnancies. The problem of teenage pregnancies should be viewed within the broader socio-economic and socio-cultural environment in which the adolescents operate. For instance, lack of parental guidance on issues of sexuality and sex education was reinforced by cultural taboos that inhibit such discussions. Adolescents should be equipped with the relevant knowledge to enable them make informed choices regarding sexual relationships. This should be complemented with broader programmes aimed at promoting girl education and poverty alleviation.

The impact of external debt on economic growth in Kenya: An empirical assessment

Abstract: A group of low-income countries classified as HIPCs have continued to experience difficulties in managing and servicing their huge stocks of external debt. Most of these countries including Kenya are in Sub-Saharan Africa. The relatively high level of Ken

Financial stability, energy consumption and environmental quality: Evidence from South Asian economies

Abstract: A few studies are found on the relationship between financial instability, energy consumption and environmental quality in energy economics literature The current study is an endeavor to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between financial stability, economic growth, energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in South Asian countries over the period 1980–2012 using a multivariate framework Bounds test for cointegration and Granger causality approach are employed for the empirical analysis Estimated results suggest that all variables are non-stationary and cointegrated The results show that financial stability improves environmental quality; while the increase in economic growth, energy consumption and population density are detrimental for environment quality in the long-run The results also support the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis which assumes an inverted U-shaped path between income and environmental quality Moreover, the study found the evidence of unidirectional causality running from financial stability to CO 2 emissions in two countries ie Pakistan and Sri Lanka The findings of this study open up new insight for policy makers to design a comprehensive financial, economic and energy supply policies to minimize the detrimental impact of environmental pollution

Signaling and Screening of Workers' Motivation

Abstract: This paper develops a model in which workers to a certain extent enjoy working. We examine the implications of workers' intrinsic motivation for optimal monetary incentive schemes. We show that motivated workers work harder and, for a given level of effort, are willing to work for a lower wage. When people differ in their motivation to work at a particular firm, the profits of the firm depend on its capability to attract and select highly motivated workers. We show that when the firm has all the bargaining power and workers face application cost, the firm needs to commit to a minimum wage offer in order to attract workers. A higher minimum wage increases the probability to fill the vacancy, but decreases the expected average quality of job applicants, as it induces lower motivated workers to apply. The optimal level of the minimum wage depends on whether or not the firm can observe the motivation of the applicants. If applicants can credibly signal their motivation, a minimum wage not only helps to attract workers, but also to select the best-motivated worker among the job applicants.