Following the success of several South American countries, Indonesia has initiated a pilot of a conditional cash transfer programme called Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH), since 2007.
The programme follows similar design in that it designates the mother (or the woman in the household) as the primary recipient of the transfer. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study that focuses on the impact of the programme on intrahousehold gender relations. It looks at how local culture and norms interact with the programme at the household and community levels and how this influences the outcomes of the programme.
The case study was conducted in four villages under two different cultural backgrounds of West Java and East Nusa Tenggara provinces. It was found that after two years of its implementation, the programme has neither affected intrahousehold gender relations nor the relative position of women within the household. It is important to get the husband involved in the programme, especially given the dominant role he plays in decision making related to child education, birth delivery assistance and the use of the money provided by the programme.
- Report summary: CSP Research Report Summary 03
- Related publication: Social Protection in Asia: Research findings and policy lessons
