Conditional cash transfer programs (CCTs) have emerged as an important social welfare innovation across the Global South in the last two decades. That poor mothers are typically the primary recipients of the grants renders easy, but not necessarily correct, the notion that CCTs empower women. This article assesses the relationship between the world’s largest CCT, Brazil’s Bolsa Família, and women’s empowerment. To systematize and interpret existing research, including our own, it puts forth a three-part framework that examines the program’s effects on economic independence, physical health, and psychosocial well-being. Findings suggest that women experience some improved status along all three dimensions, but that improvements are far from universal. A core conclusion is that the broader institutional context in which the Bolsa Família is embedded—that is, ancillary services in health and social assistance—is crucial for conditioning the degree of empowerment obtained.

中文翻译：

---

有条件现金转移是否赋予女性权力？来自巴西的 Bolsa Família 的见解

在过去的二十年里，有条件的现金转移计划 (CCT) 已成为全球南方的一项重要社会福利创新。贫穷的母亲通常是补助金的主要接受者，这使得 CCT 赋予妇女权力的观念很容易，但不一定正确。本文评估了世界上最大的 CCT、巴西的 Bolsa Família 与妇女赋权之间的关系。为了系统化和解释现有研究，包括我们自己的研究，它提出了一个由三部分组成的框架，该框架检查了该计划对经济独立性、身体健康和心理社会福祉的影响。调查结果表明，女性在所有三个方面都经历了一些改善，但这种改善远非普遍。