The paper deals with cash transfer programs in developing countries, and the authors discuss the estimates of cash transfer to adolescent girls after the end of the CCT program and the outcomes thereof. The authors argue the necessity of young people gaining education instead of early marriage and childbearing. The program had just short-term improvements that did not strongly affect the lives of females (Baird et al. 170). Unfortunately, the paper refers to a small number of distinct references. Indeed, it has evidence on the timing of interventions for females to protect early childhood development.
The paper is well structured, so a researcher can quickly look over the framework. The authors efficiently provide detailed statistics, so the data analyzed is relatively straightforward and evidenced. Moreover, utilizing the appendices with supplementary data is essential for the research. Having analyzed the statistics, the authors raise the question of whether cash transfers significantly affected females. It is notable to argue that there were no significant reductions in HIV, labor opportunities promotion, or measurable empowerment of women. Moreover, there are still few jobs for women in the formal sector, so females depend on farming and informal activities. The paper argues that safe and well-paid jobs will significantly contribute to women, especially by reducing child marriage, teen pregnancy, psychological distress, and HIV. The paper’s main conclusion discusses the absence of long-term results since only two years have passed since the program stopped. On the contrary, such a period of financial assistance might have been short. So, the paper sets the goals for further research, arguing that the beneficiaries of financial aid were practically in the same position as they had been before the UCT program.
Work Cited
Baird, Sarah, et al. “When The Money Runs Out: Do Cash Transfers Have Sustained Effects On Human Capital Accumulation?”. Journal Of Development Economics, vol. 140, 2019, pp. 169-185, Web.