Global social policy

Abstract

Social policy and social protection systems were conceived as tools to address social risks and manage systemic asymmetries in capitalist societies. The last few decades have witnessed the feminization of anti-poverty public policies in the form of conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs. Since the late 1990s, CCT programs have been implemented to address income poverty in the short run, to interrupt the intergenerational reproduction of poverty in the long run, and to promote women’s economic empowerment. Feminist scholars recognize the positive impacts of CCTs on the lives of women that can lead to a reduction in gender inequality. The controversial and ambiguous nature of CCT programs for women has enabled discussions on how their positive aspects can be enhanced and their negative aspects reviewed. Part of the discussion includes an analysis of the possibility of moving toward universal unconditional cash transfer schemes, such as universal basic income.