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Social safety nets empower women economically and socially

Nature Human Behaviour (2026)Cite this article

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This systematic review and meta-analysis pools results from 93 studies across 45 low- and middle-income countries, and it shows that social safety nets significantly enhance measures of women’s economic achievement and agency. Treatment effects are largest for unconditional cash transfers, public works programmes, social care services and asset transfers.

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Fig. 1: Treatment effects by SSN type, economic achievements and agency.

References

  1. Peterman, A., Kumar, N., Pereira, A. & Gilligan, D. Towards gender equality: a review of evidence on social safety nets in Africa. IFPRI discussion paper 1903. Preprint at SSRN https://ssrn.com/abstract=3516279 (2019). A preprint narrative review of the effects of SSNs on women’s outcomes in Africa.

  2. Cookson, T. P., Ebner, N., Amron, Y. & Kukreja, K. Social protection systems and gender: a review of the evidence. Glob. Soc. Policy 24, 25–45 (2023). A review of systems-level and institutional integration of gender into social protection.

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  3. Peterman, A., Steinert, J. & Bourgault S. Social safety nets, women’s economic empowerment and agency: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PROSPERO https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42022382158 (2024). The published study protocol linked to this meta-analysis.

  4. Stöterau, J., Kemper, J. & Ghisletta, A. The impact of vocational training interventions on youth labor market outcomes: a meta-analysis. Preprint at SSRN https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4217580 (2022). A meta-analysis that estimates average treatment effects of vocational training programmes on employment outcomes.

  5. Vaessen, J. et al. The effects of microcredit on women’s control over household spending in developing countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Campbell Syst. Rev. 10, 1–205 (2014). A meta-analysis that estimates average treatment effects of microcredit programmes on women’s financial control.

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This is a summary of: Peterman, A. et al. Social safety nets, women’s economic achievements and agency in 45 countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nat. Hum. Behav. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02394-0 (2026).

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Social safety nets empower women economically and socially. Nat Hum Behav (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02395-z

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