Cash Transfers Conditional on Schooling Reduce IPV among Young Women in South Africa

Estimates indicate that one in three ever-partnered women aged 15 years and older has experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) in her lifetime, with regional rates ranging from 16.3 percent in East Asia to 65.6 percent in Central Africa. Significant resources have been invested in understanding what works to prevent IPV, with relatively little evidence of successful interventions that are also cost-effective and scalable. A growing evidence base demonstrates that cash transfer programs, primarily meant to address poverty and vulnerability, are promising interventions to reduce IPV. However, knowledge gaps remain on whether findings generalize across regions and program designs, as well as what mechanisms underlie impacts. In this series of briefs, case studies highlight the potential of cash transfers to affect IPV in diverse contexts.