Gender equality has been a central objective of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for decades. Yet even today, women around the world continue to face systemic disadvantage. A new meta-analysis, conducted with the participation of HfP Professor Janina Steinert, underscores the transformative potential of social safety net interventions to strengthen women both financially and socially. The analysis draws on 93 studies encompassing data from more than 200,000 women across 45 low- and middle-income countries.
More Than Poverty Relief
Social safety nets encompass a wide array of government interventions, including cash transfers, food vouchers, social care services, and public employment programs. Globally, such initiatives have long been regarded as effective tools for alleviating poverty. But their impact extends far beyond that.
“Social safety net interventions have enormous transformative potential to enable women’s economic participation and autonomy,” Professor Steinert says. “In practical terms for women, this means financial independence through increased income and savings, as well as expanded agency.” They gain greater decision-making power within their households, become more politically engaged, and develop higher levels of self-esteem. “Scaling up social safety net interventions yields lasting returns in empowering women,” adds Steinert, Professor of Global Health at the HfP.
Unconditional Support Shows Strongest Effects
“Unconditional cash transfers that are not tied to specific requirements are especially effective in empowering women,” emphasizes Prof. Steinert. Programs that required recipients to meet conditions, such as sending children to school or attending health checkups, still produced positive outcomes, but their effects were significantly smaller. The researchers suggest that conditional programs may at times be perceived as paternalistic, potentially limiting their empowering impact. To sustainably advance gender equality, the study concludes that it is essential — contrary to current trends — to invest in expanding social safety net interventions worldwide.
Scientific publication: Peterman, A., Wang, J., Kamto Sonke, K. et al. Social safety nets, women’s economic achievements and agency in 45 countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nat Hum Behav (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02394-0