The BBC provides a look at what it calls "one of the world's largest and least-studied social-policy experiments" unfolding in India. The idea is to give cash to women who don't have formal jobs but who run their households. More than 100 million women across 12 states now receive small cash transfers from the government—typically between $12 and $30 a month. The amount may be modest, "but its effect—predictable income, a sense of control and a taste of independence—is anything but," writes Soutik Biswas.
The program isn't without controversy. It's expensive—12 states will spend around $18 billion on these payments this year, even as many face budget shortfalls. Some worry the transfers are little more than political handouts—the impact on elections is growing—but supporters say they reflect a long-overdue recognition of the economic value of unpaid work. Early evidence suggests the money provides women with greater financial control without discouraging them from seeking paid work.
"The cash transfers are tremendously useful for women to meet their own immediate needs and those of their households," says Prabha Kotiswaran, a professor of law and social justice at King's College London. "They also restore dignity to women who are otherwise financially dependent on their husbands for every minor expense." Whether the experiment will lead to genuine empowerment or become another lever of political power remains an open question. Biswas looks at the pros and cons and concludes:
- "They are neither panacea nor poison: they are useful but limited tools, operating in a patriarchal society where cash alone cannot undo structural inequities."
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
