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

From:: Department for International Development
Published: 1 January 2009

Country:: Mexico
Document Type:: Briefing
Theme:: Social Change
Authors:: Molyneux, M.

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.

Citation