Pathways to Increase Rural Women’s Agency Within Social Protection Programmes

This rapid evidence review explores literature on how social protection programmes, particularly cash transfers and public works programmes, can address various dimensions of poverty and wellbeing that rural women face. This review focuses on the economic aspect of women’s livelihoods and wellbeing and examines how the design and implementation of social protection programmes can promote women’s agency. Women’s agency is defined as ‘the capacity for women and girls to make their own decisions, take purposeful actions and pursue goals without the fear of violence or retribution (The Gates Foundation, 2025: 1). The review summarises evidence from academic, policy focused, aid organisations and grey literature on how social protection programmes can increase the agency of women and girls in rural areas.