Maternal Cash Transfers for Gender Equity and Child Development: Experimental Evidence from India

Jeffrey Weaver, Sandip Sukhtankar, Paul Niehaus and Karthik Muralidharan

No 32093, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Cash transfer programs to women in India now reach over 130 million beneficiaries at an annual cost of 0.6% of GDP, yet evidence on their effects remains limited. We study the impact of unconditional transfers to new mothers in India using a large-scale randomized evaluation. Treated households saw a 9.6–15.5% increase in calorie intake for mothers and children, along with gains in dietary diversity and nutrient consumption. Gender disparities in food consumption narrowed. We find significant gains in children’s functional development. While anthropometric indicators did not improve on average, they may have in areas with better sanitation.

JEL-codes: D13 I12 I15 I38 O15 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
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