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The Impact of Bolsa Família on Women’s Decision-Making Power

Author

Listed:
  • Alan de Brauw

    (IPC-IG)

  • Daniel O. Gilligan

    (IPC-IG)

  • John Hoddinott

    (IPC-IG)

  • Shalini Roy

    (IPC-IG)

Abstract

Conditional cash transfer programs with female beneficiaries have scope to increase women’s intrahousehold decision-making power. Yet quantitative evidence is limited. We show that Brazil’s Bolsa Família program has significant impacts on women’s decision making, but with considerable heterogeneity in effects. In aggregate, Bolsa Família significantly increases women’s decision-making power regarding contraception. This effect is driven by urban households, in which Bolsa Família also significantly increases women’s decision-making power in spheres related to children’s school attendance and health expenses, household durable goods purchases, and contraception use. Meanwhile, in rural households, we find no increases and possible reductions in women’s decision-making power.
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(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Alan de Brauw & Daniel O. Gilligan & John Hoddinott & Shalini Roy, 2013. "The Impact of Bolsa Família on Women’s Decision-Making Power," One Pager 238, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipc:opager:238
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Campoli, Jessica Suárez & Alves Júnior, Paulo Nocera & Rossato, Fabrícia Gladys Fernandes da Silva & Rebelatto, Daisy Aparecida do Nascimento, 2020. "The efficiency of Bolsa Familia Program to advance toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): A human development indicator to Brazil," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
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    4. Levasseur Karine & Paterson Stephanie & Carvalho Moreira Nathalia, 2018. "Conditional and Unconditional Cash Transfers: Implications for Gender," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, June.
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    7. Sayed Samer Ali Al-shami & R. M. Razali & Nurulizwa Rashid, 2018. "The Effect of Microcredit on Women Empowerment in Welfare and Decisions Making in Malaysia," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 137(3), pages 1073-1090, June.
    8. Schüring, Esther, 2014. "Preferences for Community-based Targeting - Field Experimental Evidence from Zambia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 360-373.
    9. Bergolo, Marcelo & Galván, Estefanía, 2018. "Intra-household Behavioral Responses to Cash Transfer Programs. Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 100-118.
    10. Cooper, Jan E. & Dow, William H. & de Walque, Damien & Keller, Ann C. & McCoy, Sandra I. & Fernald, Lia C.H. & Balampama, Marianna P. & Kalolella, Admirabilis & Packel, Laura J. & Wechsberg, Wendee M., 2017. "Female sex workers use power over their day-to-day lives to meet the condition of a conditional cash transfer intervention to incentivize safe sex," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 148-157.
    11. Roy, Shalini & Ara, Jinnat & Das, Narayan & Quisumbing, Agnes R., 2015. "“Flypaper effects” in transfers targeted to women: Evidence from BRAC's “Targeting the Ultra Poor” program in Bangladesh," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 1-19.
    12. de Brauw, Alan & Gilligan, Daniel O. & Hoddinott, John & Roy, Shalini, 2015. "The Impact of Bolsa Família on Schooling," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 303-316.
    13. Seymour, Greg & Peterman, Amber, 2018. "Context and measurement: An analysis of the relationship between intrahousehold decision making and autonomy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 97-112.
    14. Fernandez, Antonia & Della Giusta, Marina & Kambhampati, Uma S., 2015. "The Intrinsic Value of Agency: The Case of Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 92-107.
    15. Morton, Gregory Duff, 2019. "The power of lump sums: Using maternity payment schedules to reduce the gender asset gap in households reached by Brazil’s Bolsa Família conditional cash transfer," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 352-367.
    16. Hongyun Zheng & Yuwen Zhou & Dil Bahadur Rahut, 2023. "Smartphone use, off‐farm employment, and women's decision‐making power: Evidence from rural China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1327-1353, August.
    17. Dasgupta, Utteeyo & Mani, Subha, 2015. "Only Mine or All Ours: Do Stronger Entitlements Affect Altruistic Choices in the Household," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 363-375.
    18. Independent Evaluation Group, 2014. "Social Safety Nets and Gender : Learning from Impact Evaluations and World Bank Projects," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 21365.
    19. Peterman, Amber & Schwab, Benjamin & Roy, Shalini & Hidrobo, Melissa & Gilligan, Daniel, 2015. "Measuring women’s decisionmaking: Indicator choice and survey design experiments from cash and food transfer evaluations in Ecuador, Uganda, and Yemen:," IFPRI discussion papers 1453, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    20. James Manley & Vanya Slavchevska, 2019. "Are cash transfers the answer for child nutrition in sub‐Saharan Africa? A literature review," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(2), pages 204-224, March.

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