Women's Empowerment and Socio-Economic Outcomes : Impacts of the Andhra Pradesh Rural Poverty Reduction Program

Prennushi, G. ; Gupta, A.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ACCESS TO EDUCATION;    ACCESS TO MARKETS;    ACCESS TO SERVICES;    ACCOUNTABILITY;    AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-6841
RP-ID  :  WPS6841

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The paper explores whether one of thelargest programs in the world for women's empowermentand rural livelihoods, the Indira Kranti Patham in AndhraPradesh, India, has had an impact on the economic and socialwellbeing of households that participate in the program. Theanalysis usespanel data for 4,250 households from two roundsof a survey conducted in 2004 and 2008 in five districts.Propensity score matching was used to construct controlgroups and outcomes are compared withdifferences-in-differences. There are two major impacts.First, the Indira Kranti Patham program increasedparticipants' access to loans, which allowed them toaccumulate some assets (livestock and durables for thepoorest and nonfarm assets for the poor), invest ineducation, and increase total expenditures (for the poorestand poor). Women who participated in the program had morefreedom to go places and were less afraid to disagree withtheir husbands; the women participated more in villagemeetings and their children were slightly more likely toattend school. Consistent with the emphasis of the programon the poor, the impacts were stronger across the board forthe poorest and poor participants and were more pronouncedfor long-term Scheduled Tribe participants. No significantdifferences are found between participants andnonparticipants in some maternal and child healthindicators. Second, program participants were significantlymore likely to benefit from various targeted governmentprograms, most important the National Rural EmploymentGuarantee Scheme, but also midday meals in schools, hostels,and housing programs. This was an important way in which theprogram contributed to the improved wellbeing of programparticipants. The effects captured by the analysis accrue toprogram participants over and above those that may accrue toall households in program villages.