Creating social capital for the poorest women – evidence from BRAC’s Ultra Poor Graduation program

Social capital is critical in facilitating access to social resources; this is particularly the case for extremely poor and vulnerable women. However, whether we can intentionally create social capital, for such vulnerable groups through external interventions remains a fundamental and largely unanswered question. Using quasi-experimental data from BRAC’s Ultra Poor Graduation (UPG) program, we analyse the impact of a multifaceted program approach that links personal and livelihood development, and access to finance interventions, in the creation of social capital for women in extreme poverty. Overall, we find evidence that program interventions have a positive impact on creating social capital. We find that interventions can create more heterophyllous interactions, resulting in the creation of weaker social ties. However, the ability to form social ties decreases as women age, with differences in individuals’ capital skills and life aspirations proving to be crucial in explaining variance.