In 2021, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of Indian states enacted a policy that would assign value to women’s traditionally unpaid housework.
Now, 118 million adult women in 12 states across India receive unconditional cash transfers from their governments.
The cash transfers aren’t wages. They also aren’t a lot of money, ranging from 1,000-2,500 rupees ($12-$30 USD) a month. This is worth roughly 5-12% of a household’s income.
But for many women, they say it helps cover the cost of medicines, food, school fees for their children, and the rare personal item. And with 300 million Indian women now holding bank accounts, the transfers are simple to carry out from an administrative standpoint.
In much of India, domestic care is considered to be a familial and female responsibility and is one of the main reasons why India has a low and declining female labor force, which is an obstacle to the country’s economic growth overall.
"The unconditional cash transfers signal a significant expansion of Indian states' welfare regimes in favor of women," Prabha Kotiswaran, a professor of law and social justice at King's College London, told the BBC.
While other countries have cash-transfer programs, India’s is notably free of conditions. Those who are eligible to receive the money will, regardless of whether a child attends school or a household falls below the poverty line.
Critics of the program accuse politicians of “buying votes” from women who are hoping to see it implemented for their households, but others simply acknowledge the political power women gain when they can meet more of their economic needs.
Early surveys conclude that many women appreciate the cash transfers but would still prefer to hold their own jobs. That said, none of the surveys found evidence that the money discourages women from seeking paid work.
The cash transfers also haven’t reduced women’s unpaid labor, but they provide a modest improvement in well-being. Some survey respondents said the money provided “peace of mind, reduced marital conflict, and newfound confidence."
It also changed the way households operated. According to another study from the Harvard Kennedy School, the share of decisions made by men alone was lower after the cash transfer program was implemented.
“Prior to the intervention, 28.4% of men reported decisions alone, while only 18.8% of men reported doing so after the intervention,” findings stated.
“Prior to the intervention, 14.5% of women reported that the men in their household made decisions alone, while only 7.1% of women reported this after the intervention.”
Most researchers agree that while the cash transfers do not make a massive impact on local economies, they are a tool for improving women’s agency.
"The evidence shows that the cash transfers are tremendously useful for women to meet their own immediate needs and those of their households,” Kotiswaran said.
“They also restore dignity to women who are otherwise financially dependent on their husbands for every minor expense.”
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A version of this article was originally published in The 2026 Feminist Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
