Gender-Specific Effects on Leisure of a Conditional Cash Transfer Program

Tia Palermo, CUNY Institute for Demographic Research (CIDR)
Charlie Braymen, Kansas State University

Oportunidades, a targeted conditional cash transfer program in Mexico aimed at investing in health and education to combat poverty, has led to numerous positive outcomes. However, some argue that Oportunidades may have unintended, negative effects on women or may not do enough to empower them. This paper aims to estimate the effects of program participation on time use and investigates whether program effects are gender-specific using data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS). We utilize various matching methods to analyze program effects. Results show that program participation has a negative effect on women’s leisure, while men’s leisure time is unaffected, and number of hours worked for both genders remains unchanged by program participation. Additionally, there is a negative effect on hours spent caring for children for both genders. Decreased leisure time is a cost borne solely by women, and this counteracts the program’s goal of increasing gender equity.