Cash transfer programmes, poverty reduction and empowerment of women in South Africa

Cash transfer programmes have been implemented in many countries as a key component of their national social protection floors and because these programmes provide a modest but regular income to poor households, they have the potential to reduce poverty and to enhance women’s economic empowerment. However, there have been concerns that the design of some cash transfer programmes may reinforce traditional gender stereotypes and thus constrain women’s economic empowerment.

To examine these concerns and systematically identify good practices as well as any potential constraining factors, this study seeks to identify evidence on their longer-term effects and wider implications for various dimensions of women’s empowerment, such as providing women with skills to enable them to enter quality jobs in the labour market, and including employment, income generation and care.