23 April 2013 -- At a South-South Learning on Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programs, co-hosted by ADB and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on 16-19 April 2013, at ADB HQ in Manila, participants heard about the challenges of implementing gender inclusive CCT programs.

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A panel session featuring Addressing Gender in CCTs, chaired by Sonomi Tanaka, ADB Lead Gender Specialist, discussed a range of intersecting CCT and gender issues in the context of projects implemented in the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico and Africa.

Sri Wening Handayani, Principal Social Development Specialist, ADB, discussed the challenges of creating truly gender sensitive CCT programs that not only ensured that women gained access to much needed cash, but also empowered them. She pointed out that despite criticisms of such projects, money spent by women had more positive than negative effects, and that CCT programs not only empowered women but increased their bargaining power. View presentation.

Marco Stampini, Senior Social Protection Specialist, IDB, said that the evidence pointed to women spending CCT funds responsibly, on nutrition, health and education. He said that in Brazil where the transfer is the same for boys and girls, the impact on school enrollment was higher for girls. He also pointed out some of the limitations of CCT programs, including the possibility that CCTs reinforced gender-stereotyped roles, and did nothing to include men in child-rearing and domestic responsibilities. View presentation.

Rodora Babaran, of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Government of the Philippines, shared the gender design measures and results of the ADB-supported Philippines "Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program". The program had enabled an improvement in access to women’s control over household resources, the day care attendance of children aged 3-5, and the freeing up of time of mothers to engage in productive activities. Some female beneficiaries of the project had said that what they learnt from family development sessions was even better than the actual cash. View presentation.

An expert consultant on CCTs for the IDB, Laura Davila, discussed Mexico’s Oportunidades Program. She indicated that results from the mid-term impact evaluation in urban areas demonstrate that beneficiary women and girls benefitted considerably from CCT programs in the health and education sectors. Qualitative studies also found that women’s empowerment proved to be a protection factor against intra-household violence, that Oportunidades has been instrumental in transforming the traditional role of women, communities and families now have higher expectations about the future of young women, and that women felt more self-confident and enjoyed building networks with other women. View presentation.