Brief

Pathways Brief 5. Conditional Cash Transfers: A 'Pathway to Women's Empowerment'?

author(s) Molyneux, M.
from UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
permalink open
themes
regions
  • Central America
  • Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Americas
  • World
citation

4 pp

Publications and datasets provided via GARDIAN

Abstract

Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) are widely seen as an effective means of combating poverty and promoting human development. Programmes of this type provide mothers of school age children in extreme poverty with a cash subsidy conditional on children's attendance at school and health clinics. Whilst studies show that CCTs are usually successful in meeting their principle human development objectives of improving school attendance, nutrition and health of children (including girl children) in beneficiary households, on reviewing the flagship Mexican programme Progresa/Oportunidades, claims that CCTs empower women are questionable. This brief is based on Pathways Working Paper 5

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