Title: Conditional cash transfer in India: is it gendered?

Authors: Vanishree Joseph

Addresses: Justice K.S. Hegde Institute of Management, Nitte University, Nitte 574110, India

Abstract: In general, it is believed that conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs seek to alter the behaviour of the poor and enable them to care for themselves. This indicates the slow withdrawal of state being the provider of social care and thereby making people co-responsible for determining their own welfare. Co-responsibility is the key feature of CCT program and this reflects the fact that social security is no longer seen as residing solely with the state, and instead now involves a co-management of risk where the family too must play their part. Women have been given more responsibility in forming the human capital of their children. This action has been projected by the state and funding agencies as the empowerment process of women. At this backdrop, this paper tries to analyse whether the CCT schemes framed and implemented in India have consideration for women empowerment and address the issues of gender discrimination.

Keywords: India; women empowerment; co-responsibility; girls; child protection; female empowerment; conditional cash transfer; CCT; poor; poverty; risk management; human capital; children; India; gender discrimination; gender inequality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSDS.2016.076072

International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies, 2016 Vol.1 No.3, pp.252 - 266

Received: 27 Apr 2015
Accepted: 19 Jan 2016
Published online: 22 Apr 2016 *

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