When the Money Runs Out : Do Cash Transfers Have Sustained Effects on Human Capital Accumulation?
This study examines the medium-term effects of a two-year cash transfer program targeted to adolescent girls and young women. Significant declines in HIV prevalence, teen pregnancy, and early marriage among recipients of unconditional cash transfer...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/495551480602000373/When-the-money-runs-out-do-cash-transfers-have-sustained-effects-on-human-capital-accumulation http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25705 |
| Summary: | This study examines the medium-term
effects of a two-year cash transfer program targeted to
adolescent girls and young women. Significant declines in
HIV prevalence, teen pregnancy, and early marriage among
recipients of unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) during the
program evaporated quickly two years after the cessation of
transfers. However, children born to UCT beneficiaries
during the program had significantly higher height-for-age
z-scores at follow-up. On the other hand, conditional cash
transfers (CCTs) offered to out-of-school females at
baseline produced a large increase in educational attainment
and a sustained reduction in the total number of births, but
caused no gains in health, labor market outcomes, or
empowerment. The findings point to both the promise and the
limitations of cash transfer programs for sustained gains in
welfare among young women. |
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