Silvia Castro Receives the Munich University Society Doctoral Award

Each year, the Munich University Society recognizes outstanding early-career researchers at LMU with awards for excellent doctoral dissertations and habilitation theses. Among this year's recipients is Dr. Silvia Castro from the Faculty of Economics, who has been awarded the Doctoral Award for her dissertation, Managing Culture.

In the course of her doctoral research, Silvia Castro investigated, among other things, how culture and social norms shape women's health-related decisions. A particular focus of her dissertation is menstrual health—a topic that has received relatively little attention in economics despite affecting around half the population for a significant portion of their adult lives.

At the heart of the dissertation is a field experiment conducted in a garment factory in Bangladesh. Silvia Castro investigated why women often do not use menstrual products specifically designed for menstruation, even when these products are readily available and affordable. Her research highlights the role that cultural norms and feelings of shame play in health-related decision-making and demonstrates how open conversations about menstruation can help break down these barriers.

We warmly congratulate Dr. Silvia Castro on this special distinction and wish her continued success in her academic career.

More information: https://www.lmu.de/en/newsroom/news-overview/news/mug-prizes-for-doctoral-and-habilitation-theses-2b757ff7.html