The Perspectives of Young Women in Rural Western Kenya on Unconditional Cash Transfers

Abstract

Unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) provide money to eligible individuals, without dictating how they spend the money or tasks they must do to receive it. This study explored how UCTs affected the lives of young, impoverished women in rural western Kenya. Qualitative methods were used, including in‐depth interviews with 30 women: 10 receiving $1,000, 10 receiving $500, and 10 not receiving a UCT. UCTs were positively viewed by interviewees, and had nuanced and varied effects on aspirations, money management, relationships, and subjective well‐being in social context. The perspectives of interviewees offer programmatic suggestions and question major assumptions concerning UCTs. The perspectives of interviewees offer programmatic suggestions and question major assumptions concerning UCTs. This qualitative study augments the primarily quantitative research on UCTs that has been done to date.

Understanding the Particularities of an Unconditional Prenatal Cash Benefit for Low-Income Women: A Case Study Approach

“…Providing food vouchers instead of checks would eliminate the other useful and healthy ways recipients used this additional income. Junior et al also found study participants preferred cash because “they could decide how to use [unconditional cash transfers] to meet their unique needs.” 43…”

“…Some recipients also raised this as a concern, and thought that even small increases ($5-$20/month) would make a difference. Although there is limited evidence related to the amount of money provided to recipients through unconditional cash transfers, a study in Kenya compared the perspectives of women receiving an unconditional cash transfer of $1000 with those receiving $500, and found those who received less money “were more likely to say nothing good had happened in their life.” 43…”

“…The literature suggests that implementing unconditional cash benefits can be challenging for governments because of public perceptions that they promote dependency, 43 bring up questions about who deserves benefits and who does not, and raise the issue of accountability between governments and citizens. 44 The HBPB was a response to growing awareness about the importance of early childhood development and the social determinants of health.…”

'There is no point giving cash to women who don't spend it the way they are told to spend it' – Exploring women's agency over cash in a combined participatory women's groups and cash transfer programme to improve low birthweight in rural Nepal

“…Cash transfers may enable beneficiaries to pay for higher quantity and quality of food as well as curative and preventative health visits, transportation to health facilities, and medical supplies. However, beneficiary spending of cash transfers does not happen in a vacuum, but is influenced by individual beliefs, attitudes and relationships to other household members (Zembe-Mkabile et al, 2018; Scott et al, 2017; Tonguet-Papucci et al, 2017; Junior et al, 2016). These influences are frequently the target of complementary behaviour change components (Molyneux and Thomson, 2011; Attanasio et al, 2009; Barca et al, 2015; Robertson et al, 2014; Adato and Hoddinott, 2010), but their mechanism of operation remains little explored.…”

Lone Motherhood, Poverty and the Meaning of Money

“…Several studies have indicated that husbands in poverty retain the major decision-making power over the allocation of money and that women are relegated to making decisions only about small household purchases. Junior, Katz, and Ahn's (2016) qualitative study found that, when asked about household money management, impoverished married women most often responded that their husbands had the final say about financial decisions. Silva-Segovia and Lay-Lisboa's (2017) study also revealed that money has meaning as a symbolic element of power.…”