Introduction 1 Cash transfer programmes in South Africa 3

iii Table of contents Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

1. Introduction 1

1.1. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.2. Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2. Cash transfer programmes in South Africa 3

2.1. Policy objectives of cash transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2.2. Main characteristics of the South African cash transfer system . . . . . . . . . . 4 2.3. Administration, implementation and monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3. Strategies and arrangements for cash transfers that aim to reduce poverty amongst women and contribute to their empowerment 9 3.1. Gender-neutral but reaching more women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3.2. Sustaining gendered positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 4. Inter-linkages of cash transfers to other policies facilitating women’s access to employment and social services 13 4.1. Employment, skills development and social security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4.2. Social services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 5. The effects of South African cash transfer programmes on women, with particular emphasis on their economic empowerment 19 5.1. Access to income, poverty alleviation and investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 5.2. Employment, labour market activities and migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 5.3. Household composition and child care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 5.4. Intra-household decision-making. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 5.5. Health and education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5.6. Fertility rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Cash transfer programmes, poverty reduction and empowerment of women in South Africa iv

6. Conclusion and recommendations 33