Lelys Dinarte-Diaz
Economist, Development Research Group, World Bank
Lelys Dinarte-Diaz is an Economist in the Poverty, Inequality, and Human Development Team at the World Bank’s Development Research Group. Her research examines how investments in early childhood shape outcomes for children and parents, what policies can reduce violent behaviors and promote adolescent well-being, and how to improve the delivery of education in fragile and conflict-affected settings. She has conducted studies and impact evaluations across Latin America, Eastern Europe, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Lelys earned her PhD and master’s degrees in economics from PUC Chile and her BA in economics from ESEN in El Salvador. She is also a research affiliate of CESifo, IZA, HiCN, AMIE, and CRWJ and AI/DD research centers and contributes regularly to Development Impact blog.
Recent work by Lelys Dinarte-Diaz
-
Preschools as a pathway out of poverty: Evidence from Mozambique
A cost-effective at-scale preschool construction programme in Mozambique improved development outcomes of primary-school age children living in extreme deprivation.
Published 14.07.25
-
Combatting school-based violence and nurturing hope in El Salvador
An innovative after-school programme provides vulnerable youth in El Salvador pathways to success and resilience
Published 31.05.24
-
Can at-scale parenting interventions effectively reduce violence towards children?
A free intervention in El Salvador aimed at addressing stress-management and parenting for caregivers, and delivered through SMS, lowered women’s use of violence towards children but worsened male caregiver’s mental health and lowered their interacti...
Published 12.02.24