Mudanças e continuidades entre o Chile Solidario e o Ingreso Ético Familiar / Cambios y continuidades entre el programa Chile Solidario e Ingreso Ético Familiar / Change and continuity between Chile Solidario and Ingreso Ético Familiar

Resumo Este artigo apresenta e discute os programas de transferência monetária condicionada implementadas no Chile, o Chile Solidario (2002-2013) e o Ingreso Ético Familiar (2013-presente), procurando identificar continuidades e diferenças entre as duas iniciativas. Tendo por base a literatura sobre mudanças em políticas públicas e, em particular, a tipologia proposta por Howlett e Cashore (2009), que distinguem entre fins e meios, faz-se uma comparação entre os dois programas, de modo a identificar objetivos e mecanismos que se mantêm, quais se alteram, bem como as novidades introduzidas. Argumenta-se que, apesar de ter sido apresentado como um programa inovador em relação ao seu antecessor, o Ingreso Ético Familiar, o Chile Solidario mantém os atributos daquele, aos quais se adicionam alguns novos elementos. O artigo traz contributos em duas áreas: traça a evolução da política de transferência condicionada no Chile nas duas últimas décadas e dialoga com a literatura sobre mudança em política social.

Resumen El artículo presenta y discute los programas de transferencia condicionada chilenas - el Chile Solidario (2002-2013) y el Ingreso Ético Familiar (2013-presente) - y busca identificar continuidades y diferencias entre las dos iniciativas. Teniendo como base la literatura acerca de cambio en políticas públicas y, en particular, la tipología propuesta por Howlett y Cashore (2009) que distingue entre fines y medios, se realizar un análisis comparado entre ambos programas, buscando identificar los objetivos y mecanismos que persisten, los que se modifican y si se introducen innovaciones. Como resultado, pese a que haya sido presentado como un programa innovador en relación al anterior, el Ingreso Ético Familiar mantiene los principales atributos de Chile Solidario, a los cuales son añadidos algunos nuevos elementos. El artículo busca hacer contribuciones en dos áreas: (1) mapear la evolución de los programas de transferencia condicionada en las dos últimas décadas y (2) dialogar con la literatura sobre cambios en política social.

Abstract This article presents and discusses the two conditional cash transfer initiatives implemented in Chile - Chile Solidario (2002-2013) and Ingreso Ético Solidario (2013-present) - and aim at identifying continuities and change between the two. A comparison of the two programmes, based on Howlett and Cashore's (2009) tipology for analysing policy change that distinguished between ends and means, allows the identification of continuities and changes regarding the goals and mechanisms present in the two programmes. The article argues that despite being announced as an innovative measure in regard to the previous programme, Ingreso Etico Familiar maintains the core characteristics of Chile Solidario and includes some additional elements. This article makes two different contributions: (1) it traces the evolution of conditional cash transfers programmes in Chile over the past two decades and (2) it establishes a dialogue with the literatures on changes to social policy.

The Brazilian cash transfer program (Bolsa Família): A tool for reducing inequalities and achieving social rights in Brazil.

Conditional cash transfer programs are strategies used by countries over the past two decades, and they play a key role in reducing income inequalities and expanding access to basic services such as health and education. The Brazilian Cash Transfer Program (Bolsa Família), the largest conditional cash transfer program in the world, aims to bring immediate poverty alleviation and eradicate hunger. The objective of this study was to analyse the contributions of the Brazilian Cash Transfer Program for reducing social inequalities and ensuring the right to health, food, education and social assistance in Brazil. A review of the scientific literature published between 2003 and 2020 was conducted, associated with documentary research on government websites. There was a relationship between the Brazilian Cash Transfer Program, reduction of child mortality and increase in access to Primary Health Care services; increased access to food, including in natura; higher school attendance and reduced dropout. However, no improvement in the nutritional status of the families entitled to the program was observed, nor the interruption of the intergenerational cycle of poverty was ensured. The Brazilian Cash Transfer Program continues as a potent intersectoral policy for reducing inequities, which reinforces the need to strengthen and combine complementary policies to expand its effects.

An Estimation of the Effect of Women's Employment on the Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Mexico.

Female labor force participation is important for women, children, and societies, but also may have unintended impacts including an increased risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV is a global health, human rights, and development problem with far-reaching economic and societal consequences. Mexico has a very high prevalence of IPV: 43.9% of Mexican women have reported experiencing IPV at the hands of their current partner. The literature on women's economic participation reveals mixed evidence on whether women's employment is associated with higher levels of IPV or whether it is protective against IPV. As the effect of women's work operates differently across contexts, we aim to estimate the effect of women's employment on their risk of experiencing IPV in rural and urban Mexico. Utilizing the nationally representative 2016 Mexican National Survey on the Dynamics of Household Relationships (ENDIREH), we employ propensity score matching (PSM) to address the potential selection bias between women who are employed and/or receiving a cash transfer with women who are not. We additionally implement inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) to explore this relationship and compare the results with the PSM findings. Three different measures of women's economic participation are analyzed: whether they had engaged in any productive work outside of the home in the past year, whether they received conditional cash transfers through Mexico's Prospera program, and whether they received Prospera and worked. Given the high levels of IPV in Mexico and the greater levels of economic participation borne of an increased number of women in the workforce, our results have important potential implications for targeting support to survivors of violence who receive cash transfers and undertake employment in both urban and rural areas.

The Prospera conditional cash transfer program and its impact on education, labor, and migration in an indigenous Mayan community in Chiapas, Mexico.

Prospera, a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCTs) program in Mexico, provides recipients with cash contingent on three nodes of civic engagement: health, nutrition and education. This article examines the educational component of Prospera in La Gloria, in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. I utilize gender and culture of migration theories to explore the role gender plays in the educational, employment and migration outcomes of 31 high school students, and a smaller sample that pursued post-secondary education, six years after participating in the Prospera program. My findings raise questions about the ability of Prospera to ameliorate social inequalities, foster gender equity, and economic mobility among indigenous recipient households.

Transferência de renda condicionada e o trabalho do cuidado: uma análise do Programa Bolsa Família em 2019 / Conditional cash transfers and care work: an analysis of Bolsa Familia Program in 2019 / Transferencia de renta condicional y trabajo de cuidado: un análisis del programa Bolsa Familia en 2019

Os programas de transferência de renda condicionada têm como público-alvo famílias em situação de vulnerabilidade e são pagos preferivelmente às mulheres. A crítica feminista em relação a tais programas argumenta que, ao se direcionarem os benefícios às mulheres, papéis sociais baseados na divisão sexual do trabalho são reforçados, o que gera uma sobrecarga feminina com o trabalho doméstico e do cuidado. Este artigo investiga a relação entre a titularidade feminina e o uso do tempo com o trabalho do cuidado, comparando mulheres e homens que recebem e que não recebem o benefício do Programa Bolsa Família. Para isso, foram analisados os dados disponíveis na Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios Contínua de 2019. Os resultados mostram que as mulheres beneficiárias que cuidam de crianças de até cinco anos despendem mais horas do que todos os outros grupos. Contudo, os homens beneficiários que cuidam de crianças nessa faixa etária gastam menos horas do que os beneficiários que não cuidam.

Conditional cash transfer programs target vulnerable families and are preferentially paid to women. Feminist criticism regarding such programs argues that directing financial transfers to women reinforces social roles based on the Sexual Division of Labor, which places a burden on women regarding domestic and care work. This paper investigates the relationship between female ownership and the time spent doing care work, comparing women and men who receive and not receive benefits from Bolsa Família Program. To do so, available data from Continuous - PNAD from 2019 were analyzed. The results show that female beneficiaries who care for children up to 5 years old spend more hours doing domestic work than all other groups. However, male beneficiaries who care for children in this age group spend less hours in those activities than beneficiaries who do not.

Los programas de transferencia de renta condicional tienen como público objetivo familias en situación de vulnerabilidad y dan preferencia a la titularidad femenina. La crítica feminista en relación con tales programas argumenta que, al direccionar los beneficios hacia las mujeres, los roles sociales basados en la división sexual del trabajo se refuerzan, lo cual genera una sobrecarga femenina en relación con el trabajo doméstico y de cuidado. Este artículo investiga la relación entre la titularidad femenina y el uso del tiempo en el trabajo de cuidado, comparando mujeres y hombres que reciben y que no reciben prestaciones del programa Bolsa Familia. Para esto, fueron analizados los datos disponibles en la Encuesta Nacional Anual de Muestreo Residencial. Los resultados muestran que las mujeres beneficiadas que cuidan niños de hasta cinco años gastan más horas que todos los otros grupos, aunque los hombres beneficiados que cuidan niños en este rango de edad gastan menos horas que los que no los cuidan.

Conditional cash transfers and gender constructions: A unique dataset on women in Buenaventura, Colombia.

This study provides detailed information on socially disadvantaged women and their households in Buenaventura, Colombia. A representative sample for 400 women aged between 18 and 70 was prepared and their living conditions were accessed based on the sociodemographic data and economic and social dynamics of their households. It gives special attention to access to poverty alleviation programs - conditional cash transfers - and forms of agency propelling women towards social change. The data were collected in July 2019 through in-person interviews. The database can greatly contribute toward further comparative research, informing public policy, and more broadly, widening the universe of statistical data on Colombia and other Latin American countries by providing quantitative data on welfare dependence, intragenerational pathways of social mobility, and changes in reproductive strategies and the political culture of women with respect to urban precarity. Fundación WWB Colombia and Universidad Icesi sponsored data collection as part of the project entitled "Analysis of the relationships between gender constructions and welfare programs in southwest Colombia".

Moedas complementares digitais e políticas públicas durante a crise da COVID-19 / Monedas complementarias digitales y políticas públicas durante la crisis de COVID-19 / Digital complementary currencies and public policies during the COVID-19 pandemic

Resumo Programas de renda básica têm sido utilizados em todo o mundo como uma ferramenta para mitigar os efeitos adversos da crise da COVID-19. No Brasil, a implementação de iniciativas federais de renda básica emergencial (RBE) enfrenta um duplo desafio: a logística de distribuição de dinheiro e os critérios de elegibilidade dos cidadãos. No entanto, iniciativas de moedas complementares existem há muitos anos no Brasil, estando associadas especialmente aos bancos comunitários, os quais operam no nível local e possuem conhecimento mais aprofundado sobre as necessidades dos moradores. Este artigo analisa o uso de moedas digitais complementares no enfrentamento de desafios de distribuição de renda. Apresentamos o caso da moeda complementar digital Mumbuca E-Dinheiro, adotada pelo município de Maricá (RJ). Discutimos como esta iniciativa permitiu a distribuição de renda de forma rápida e segura com o objetivo de mitigar os efeitos da pandemia da COVID-19 no Brasil. Sugerimos que, no momento atual, a RBE poderia ser paga através do E-dinheiro, começando pelos municípios nos quais ele já atua e depois se expandindo para os demais. A interoperabilidade com outros atores do ecossistema de pagamentos e articulações com governos locais são medidas adicionais para dar escala ao uso das moedas complementares digitais no combate à crise do coronavírus.

Resumen Los programas de ingresos básicos se han utilizado en todo el mundo como una herramienta para mitigar los efectos adversos de la crisis de COVID-19. En Brasil, la implementación de iniciativas federales de ingresos básicos de emergencia enfrenta un doble desafío: la logística de distribución de dinero y los criterios de elegibilidad de los ciudadanos. Las iniciativas monetarias complementarias han existido en Brasil durante muchos años y están asociadas especialmente con bancos comunitarios, instituciones que operan a nivel local y tienen un conocimiento más profundo sobre las necesidades de los residentes. Este artículo examina el uso de monedas complementarias digitales para enfrentar los desafíos de distribución de ingresos. Presentamos el caso de la moneda complementaria digital Mumbuca E-Dinheiro adoptada por el municipio de Maricá (RJ) y discutimos cómo esta iniciativa permitió la distribución de ingresos de manera rápida y segura para mitigar los efectos de la pandemia de COVID-19 en Brasil. Sugerimos que, en el momento actual, los ingresos básicos de emergencia podrían pagarse a través de la plataforma E-Dinheiro, comenzando por los municipios en que esta plataforma ya opera y luego expandiéndose a los demás. La interoperabilidad con otros actores del ecosistema de pagos y los vínculos con los gobiernos locales son medidas adicionales para ampliar el uso de monedas complementarias digitales en la lucha contra la crisis del coronavirus.

Abstract Basic income programs have been used worldwide as a tool to mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Brazil, the implementation of federal emergency basic income initiatives faces a twofold challenge: money distribution logistics and eligibility criteria. This paper analyses the use of digital complementary currencies (DCC) to face these challenges. Complementary currencies have long existed in Brazil as part of community banks. The latter are institutions that operate at the local level and have better information regarding residents' needs. We present the case of Mumbuca E-Dinheiro, a DCC adopted by the municipality of Maricá (RJ), and discuss how this initiative has enabled quick and safe cash distribution aimed at mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. We suggest that, at present, basic emergency income could be distributed through the E-Dinheiro platform, starting with the municipalities in which it already operates and then expanding to others. Interoperability with other actors in the payment ecosystem and connections with local governments are additional actions to scale up the use of digital complementary currencies to combat the coronavirus crisis.

Conditional Cash Transfer Program and Leprosy Incidence: Analysis of 12.9 Million Families From the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort.

Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease predominately affecting poor and marginalized populations. To test the hypothesis that poverty-alleviating policies might be associated with reduced leprosy incidence, we evaluated the association between the Brazilian Bolsa Familia (BFP) conditional cash transfer program and new leprosy case detection using linked records from 12,949,730 families in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort (2007-2014). After propensity score matching BFP beneficiary to nonbeneficiary families, we used Mantel-Haenszel tests and Poisson regressions to estimate incidence rate ratios for new leprosy case detection and secondary endpoints related to operational classification and leprosy-associated disabilities at diagnosis. Overall, cumulative leprosy incidence was 17.4/100,000 person-years at risk (95% CI: 17.1, 17.7) and markedly higher in "priority" (high-burden) versus "nonpriority" (low-burden) municipalities (22.8/100,000 person-years at risk, 95% confidence interval (CI): 22.2, 23.3, compared with 14.3/100,000 person-years at risk, 95% CI: 14.0, 14.7). After matching, BFP participation was not associated with leprosy incidence overall (incidence rate ratio (IRR)Poisson = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.90, 1.04) but was associated with lower leprosy incidence when restricted to families living in high-burden municipalities (IRRPoisson = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.96). In high-burden municipalities, the association was particularly pronounced for paucibacillary cases (IRRPoisson = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.98) and cases with leprosy-associated disabilities (IRRPoisson = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.97). These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that social policies might contribute to ongoing leprosy control efforts in high-burden communities.

Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program.

There is growing evidence on positive human capital impacts of large, poverty-focused cash transfer programs. However, evidence is inconclusive on whether cash transfer programs affect maternal health outcomes, and if so, through which pathways. We use a regression discontinuity design with an implicit threshold to evaluate the impact of Comunidades Solidarias Rurales in El Salvador on four maternal health service utilization outcomes: (a) prenatal care; (b) skilled attendance at birth; (c) birth in health facilities; and (d) postnatal care. We find robust impacts on outcomes at the time of birth but not on prenatal and postnatal care. In addition to income effects, supply-side health service improvements and gains in women's agency may have played a role in realizing these gains. With growing inequalities in maternal health outcomes globally, results contribute to an understanding of how financial incentives can address health systems and financial barriers that prevent poor women from seeking and receiving care at critical periods for both maternal and infant health.

Conditional Cash Transfers in the Amazon: From the Nutrition Transition to Complex Dietary Behavior Change.

Nutrition transition theory describes a progressive substitution of local staples for industrialized processed foods in local diets, a process documented diversely across world regions, and increasingly observed in rural areas of the global south. Here we examine the role of conditional cash transfer programs, in particular the emblematic Brazilian Bolsa Família (BFP), in driving nutritional transition in rural areas of the Amazon. Based on ethnographic research with both participating and nonparticipating women in the Amanã Sustainable Development Reserve (SDR), our analysis integrates Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ), seasonal 24-hour food intake recalls, and stable isotope ratios in fingernails to examine dietary behavioral change. Contrary to dietary changes observed elsewhere in the Amazon, participation in the BFP is not associated with a significant substitution of local staples for industrialized processed foods in Amanã. While an increase in the consumption of some industrialized foods was observed, it has been selective and it has not changed the structure of diets. Factors such as social and cultural value of local staples, resident's involvement with the SDR, their relationship with lake and upland forest and agricultural environments, and limited market access have buffered the expansion of industrialized processed foods as observed elsewhere.

Reexamining the Influence of Conditional Cash Transfers on Migration From a Gendered Lens.

Past research on the influence of conditional cash transfers-widespread antipoverty programs-on migration has tended to focus on beneficiaries as a homogenous unit. Drawing on feminist critiques of the contemporary international antipoverty agenda, this article views both conditional cash transfer programs and migration patterns from a gender-sensitive lens. Conditional cash transfers rely on a gendered division of labor in which the informal work of women is particularly called upon in order to fulfill program requirements. This work contends that conditional cash transfers emphasize gender responsibilities for women as mothers and caretakers, which mark their belonging in the domestic sphere and limit the likelihood of their migration while making no such demands on beneficiary men or nonbeneficiaries. Using logistic and multinomial logistic regression models and data from the Mexican Family Life Survey, the analysis finds evidence supporting the hypothesis that conditional cash transfer participation disproportionately limits migration for beneficiary women. This study broadly argues that the impact of such antipoverty programs is more gendered than previously thought and emphasizes the importance of examining previously studied outcomes in ways that consider the specific subject locations of recipients in order to better understand both the logics underlying development policy and the process of migration itself.

Encouraging use of prenatal care through conditional cash transfers: Evidence from JUNTOS in Peru.

We use a difference-in-differences strategy to estimate the effects of JUNTOS, a conditional cash transfer program targeted to poor rural households in Peru, on use of prenatal care. Using data from the Peruvian Demographic and Health Surveys over the period 2000-2011, we find that JUNTOS increased prenatal care utilization among program-eligible women. Even more, we find positive effects of JUNTOS on the probability of receiving prenatal care delivered by a skilled professional, including specific medical checkups during the prenatal visits, and a negative effect on the probability of experiencing obstetric emergencies during labor and childbirth.

Modelling the impact of social protection on tuberculosis: the S-PROTECT project.

BACKGROUND: Tackling the social determinants of Tuberculosis (TB) through social protection is a key element of the post-2015 End TB Strategy. However, evidence informing policies are still scarce. Mathematical modelling has the potential to contribute to fill this knowledge gap, but existing models are inadequate. The S-PROTECT consortium aimed to develop an innovative mathematical modelling approach to better understand the role of social protection to improve TB care, prevention and control. METHODS: S-PROTECT used a three-steps approach: 1) the development of a conceptual framework; 2) the extraction from this framework of three high-priority mechanistic pathways amenable for modelling; 3) the development of a revised version of a standard TB transmission model able to capture the structure of these pathways. As a test case we used the Bolsa Familia Programme (BFP), the Brazilian conditional cash transfer scheme. RESULTS: Assessing one of these pathways, we estimated that BFP can reduce TB prevalence by 4% by improving households income and thus their nutritional status. When looking at the direct impact via malnutrition (not income mediated) the impact was 33%. This variation was due to limited data availability, uncertainties on data transformation and the pathway approach taken. These results are preliminary and only aim to serve as illustrative example of the methodological challenges encountered in this first modelling attempt, nonetheless they suggest the potential added value of integrating TB standard of care with social protection strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Results are to be confirmed with further analysis. However, by developing a generalizable modelling framework, S-PROTECT proved that the modelling of social protection is complex, but doable and allowed to draw the research road map for the future in this field.

Punto Seguro: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Using Conditional Economic Incentives to Reduce Sexually Transmitted Infection Risks in Mexico.

Randomized controlled pilot evaluated effect of conditional economic incentives (CEIs) on number of sex partners, condom use, and incident sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among male sex workers in Mexico City. Incentives were contingent on testing free of new curable STIs and/or clinic attendance. We assessed outcomes for n = 227 participants at 6 and 12 months (during active phase with incentives), and then at 18 months (with incentives removed). We used intention-to-treat and inverse probability weighting for the analysis. During active phase, CEIs increased clinic visits (10-13 percentage points) and increased condom use (10-15 percentage points) for CEI groups relative to controls. The effect on condom use was not sustained once CEIs were removed. CEIs did not have an effect on number of partners or incident STIs. Conditional incentives for male sex workers can increase linkage to care and retention and reduce some HIV/STI risks such as condomless sex, while incentives are in place.

Conditional cash transfers and the creation of equal opportunities of health for children in low and middle-income countries: a literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) have been largely used in the world during the past decades, since they are known for enhancing children's human development and promoting social inclusion for the most deprived groups. In other words, CCTs seek to create life chances for children to overcome poverty and exclusion, thus reducing inequality of opportunity. The main goal of the present article is to identify studies capable of showing if CCTs create equality of opportunity in health for children in low and middle-income countries. METHODOLOGY: Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in the Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), PubMed/Medline, Scopus and Web of Science electronic bibliographic databases. Relevant studies were searched using the combination of key words (either based on Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms or free text terms) related to conditional cash transfers, child health and equality of opportunity. An integrative research review was conducted on 17 quantitative studies. RESULTS: The effects of CCTs on children's health outcomes related to Social Health Determinants were mostly positive for immunization rates or vaccination coverage and for improvements in child morbidity. Nevertheless, the effects of CCTs were mixed for the child mortality indicators and biochemical or biometric health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The present literature review identified five CCTs that provided evidence regarding the creation of health opportunities for children under 5 years old. Nevertheless, cash transfers alone or the use of conditions may not be able to mitigate poverty and health inequalities in the presence of poor health services.

A next generation of conditional cash transfer programs / Una próxima generación de programas de transferencia condicionada de ingreso / Uma próxima geração de programas de transferência de renda condicionada

Abstract This article evaluates the role of the Brazilian federal Conditional Cash Transfer programs (CCTs) such as Bolsa Família and Bolsa Escola during the past recent years and discusses their future. Based on previous empirical evidence based on my own work, I propose an integrated framework with two complementary perspectives. The first perspective is a goal approach based on the short term aggregated influences exerted by these programs, organized under four headings, namely: equality, prosperity, stability and sensibility. The emphasis here is to compare the results of Bolsa Família with other official programs such as BPC and Social Security benefits. The second perspective follows a means approach inspecting the microeconomic mechanisms through which CCTs operate, comparing the impacts on CCTs beneficiaries versus non-beneficiaries. Such perspective helps in dialoguing about the relevance of different CCTs attributes, and to discuss possible desirable upgrades.

Resumen Este artículo examina el papel de las políticas de transferencias condicionadas de ingreso (CCT's en Inglés) como Bolsa Familia y Bolsa Escuela, su reciente expansión y su futuro. Organizamos la evidencia empírica de nuestros trabajos, propongo un marco integrado desde dos perspectivas complementarias. La primera utiliza un enfoque-final desde una gama de influencias macroeconómicas a corto plazo ejercidas por esos programas a través de cuatro componentes: equidad, prosperidad, estabilidad y sensibilidad. El énfasis es en la comparación de los resultados del Bolsa Familia con otros programas, como las prestaciones de la Seguridad Social y BPC. La segunda utiliza un enfoque-medio a través de la inspección de los mecanismos por los que las CCT's operan mediante la comparación de los impactos sobre los beneficiarios vis-à-vis aquellos que no son. Esto ayuda en el diálogo sobre la relevancia de los diferentes atributos de las CCT's y posibles mejoras.

Resumo Este artigo avalia o papel de programas de transferência de renda condicionada (sigla CCTs em inglês) como o Bolsa Família e o Bolsa Escola federais, sua expansão recente e discute o seu futuro. Organizamos evidências empíricas de trabalhos anteriores, propondo um arcabouço integrado a partir de duas perspectivas complementares. A primeira utiliza abordagem-fim via influências agregadas de curto prazo exercidas por esses programas por meio de quatro componentes: equidade, prosperidade, estabilidade e sensibilidade. A ênfase é sobre a comparação dos resultados do Bolsa Família com outros programas, como o Benefício de Prestação Continuada (BPC) e a Previdência Social. A segunda perspectiva segue abordagem-meio inspecionando os mecanismos microeconômicos pelos quais os CCTs operam, comparando os impactos sobre os indivíduos beneficiários desses programas vis-à-vis aqueles que não o são. Essa segunda perspectiva ajuda no diálogo sobre a relevância dos diferentes atributos dos CCTs e a discutir possíveis melhorias.

Conditional cash transfers and the double burden of malnutrition among children in Colombia: a quasi-experimental study.

Conditional cash-transfer (CCT) programmes have been shown to improve the nutritional and health status of children from poor families. However, CCT programmes may have unintended and not fully known consequences by increasing the risk of overweight and obesity. We examined the impact of Familias en Acción (FA), a large CCT programme in Colombia, on the double burden of malnutrition among pre-school and school-aged children. Height and weight were measured before programme enrolment and during follow-ups in 1290 children from thirty-one treatment municipalities, being compared with 1584 children from sixty-two matched control municipalities. We used a difference-in-differences approach to evaluate the effect of FA on children's stunting, BMI z-scores, thinness, overweight and obesity, controlling for individual and municipality-level confounders. At baseline, the prevalences of stunting and overweight were 30·3 and 15·4 %, respectively, in treatment municipalities and 27·9 and 17·4 % in control municipalities. FA was associated with reduced odds of thinness (OR 0·26; 95 % CI 0·09, 0·75) and higher BMI-for-age z-scores (BMI z-scores) (ß 0·14; 95 % CI 0·00, 0·27; P<0·05), although the latter was of small clinical significance. The prevalence of stunting, overweight and obesity decreased over time, but the effect of FA on these outcomes was not significant. The CCT programme in Colombia reduced the odds of thinness, but had no effect on stunting, a more prevalent outcome. The FA programme had no effect on overweight or obesity, although BMI z-scores were higher for children under treatment, raising the possibility of an increase of small clinical significance on BMI among pre-school and school-aged children.

Does the benefits schedule of cash assistance programs affect the purchase of temptation goods? Evidence from Peru.

A critique of cash assistance programs is that beneficiaries may spend the money on "temptation goods" such as alcohol and tobacco. We exploit a change in the payment schedule of Peru's conditional cash transfer program to identify the impact of benefit receipt frequency on the purchase of temptation goods. We use annual household data among cross-sectional and panel samples to analyze the effect of the policy change on the share of the household budget devoted to four categories of temptation goods. Using a difference-in-differences estimation approach, we find that larger, less frequent payments increased the expenditure share of alcohol by 55-80% and sweets by 10-40%, although the absolute magnitudes of these effects are small. Our study suggests that less frequent benefits scheduling may lead cash recipients to make certain types of temptation purchases.

Ten best resources on conditional cash transfers.

The world's economy is in a fragile state. Although cautiously recovering from a global recession, unemployment rates and poverty levels remain high. At the same time, food and fuel crises have resulted in skyrocketing commodity costs, straining household budgets even further than before. In the wake of these financial pressure points, there has been increased focus on social safety net programmes. More recently, Brazil's 'Bolsa Familia' conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme has celebrated its tenth-year anniversary, renewing focus on this particular aspect of social transfer programmes. This essay examines one particular aspect of these social safety net programmes: CCTs. CCT programmes are useful social programmes that have had demonstrable effects on many different populations. However, they are not a 'magic bullet' against poverty, and their image has suffered from unreasonable expectations of their impacts. This 10 best list is an ideal starting point from which a potential user can begin to understand CCTs. There remain significant gaps in the literature behind CCTs, with a particular need for much more research on emerging areas such as impacts on gender, long-term school and health outcomes, methods for increasing efficiency and adapting conditionalities within cultural contexts, among others. However, this list can function as a starting point from which the reader can gain an understanding and appreciation for what we believe to be one of the most innovative social programmes for addressing poverty worldwide.