Cash transfers, gender equity and women's empowerment in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia

Abstract

Conditional cash transfer programmes provide extremely poor households with a cash subsidy, on condition that children attend school, and mothers and infants undergo health checks. These programmes are generally considered effective social protection mechanisms, and success in meeting children's nutrition, education, and health targets is reported. However, the impact of these programmes on women's empowerment and intra-household dynamics is under-explored. This article provides a summary of some key findings of recent research in Latin America, supported by CARE International UK. The research looked at the Juntos Programme in Peru, Bono de Desarrollo Humano in Ecuador, and Bono Juana Azurduy in Bolivia. Through qualitative and participatory research with women beneficiaries, and interviews with key informants, the study examined whether, and in what ways, conditional cash transfer programmes might promote gender equity and women's empowerment.

Keywords:

• gender
• social protection
• empowerment
• cash transfer programmes
• Latin America

Acknowledgements

The CARE International UK research report CCT Programmes and Women's Empowerment in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador is an overview of the field research carried out as part of this collaborative study, which has been written up in detail in three separate country reports. The field research was carried out by Rosana Vargas in Peru, Maria Dolores Castro in Bolivia, and Amparo Armas and Jacqueline Contreras in Ecuador. Many thanks to them and to CARE International staff in the region for their support in the research process and for commenting on the report and especially to Gaia Gozzo in London for her insightful comments and input. The overview research report is available from CARE International UK.

Notes

1. For further reading on Latin American CCTs see: ‘Conditional cash transfers and women's empowerment: annotated bibliography’ by M. Molyneux and C. Tabbush available on line at http://americas.sas.ac.uk/about-us/staff/maxine.molyneux.html (last accessed 16 June 2011).

2. In the study 159 women participated in focus group discussions and surveys (Bolivia 56, Ecuador 52, and Peru 51); 39 in-depth interviews were carried out with women beneficiaries (Ecuador 12, Bolivia 15, and Peru 12) and a total of 82 (Bolivia 56, Ecuador 14, and Peru 12) interviews were carried out with key informants such as decision-makers, community leaders, health promoters, and men in the community. Interviewing and focus groups took place from 14 September to 8 October 2010.

3. The latest Human Development Report on the LAC region (PNUD 2010), which tracks gaps on reproductive health, empowerment, and workforce participation shows that gender discrimination is well above the world average mainly due to the high rates of child birth among adolescents and low participation of women in the wage economy.

4. The conditionalities of the programme focus on child welfare, specifically: registration for birth certificates and identity documents; preventative health checks for children under five years and pregnant women (vaccinations, child development and nutritional supplements, pre-and post natal checks); educational talks on nutrition and reproductive health (family planning) and the registration and school attendance of children aged 6–14 years.

5. Correspondence with FU and MM, CARE Ecuador Office, April 2011.

6. This new pilot is being developed in 24 districts currently, as a partnership of Juntos, Ministry of Agriculture, Prime Minister′s Office, National Bank, IEP, and CARE Peru, and which is hoping to reach 450,000 women over the next two years. Correspondence with JG, CARE Peru (March 2011).

7. The health clinics and Juntos refer the cases of family violence that come to their attention to organisations such as the Defensoría Municipal del Niño y el Adolescente (DEMUNA), the Ombudsman for children and youth.

8. This was a common finding in all the country programmes, which we discussed at the CARE workshop with the local researchers held in Lima, Peru 24–25 October 2010.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maxine Molyneux

Maxine Molyneux is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for the Study of the Americas

Marilyn Thomson

Marilyn Thomson is an independent consultant, a (honorary) visiting research fellow at City University and co-director of the London-based Central America Women's Network