The Brazilian cash transfer program (Bolsa Família): A tool for reducing inequalities and achieving social rights in Brazil

This chapter examines the role that public policy initiatives—specifically anti-poverty transfers—have played in the reduction of poverty and inequality in Brazil. A number of anti-poverty initiatives are considered in turn, and not just the widely known Bolsa Familia conditional cash transfer program. The analysis establishes that such transfers—including conditional cash transfers—have proved surprisingly effective, even helping to tackle long-standing income inequality. It is recognized that explicit anti-poverty initiatives were not the only drivers of the reduced incidence of poverty and inequality: factors such as growth and improved access to labor markets also played a role. However, progress is now threatened by the recent economic and political crisis.

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Database on the coverage of the “Bolsa-Família” conditioning cash-transfer program: Brazil, 2005 to 2021

BMC Research Notes ◽

10.1186/s13104-021-05849-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lais Baroni ◽

Ronaldo Fernandes Santos Alves ◽

Cristiano Siqueira Boccolini ◽

Rebecca Salles ◽

Raquel Gritz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Low Income ◽

Conditional Cash Transfer ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Nutrition And Health ◽

Data Description ◽

Bolsa Familia ◽

Conditional Cash Transfer Program

Abstract Objectives The “Bolsa-Família” Program (PBF) is a Brazilian conditional cash-transfer program in which families should comply with health, education, and social assistance conditionalities. The program aims to fight poverty and hunger, promoting nutrition and health services for low-income populations. This paper presents a database on the coverage of monitoring and compliance with the PBF health conditionalities in Brazil from January 2005 to July 2021. Data description Database on the PBF conditioning cash-transfer program coverage in Brazil from 2005 to 2021. It comprises information on the number of families benefited, health conditionalities, and the follow-up on vaccination and nutrition of children under seven years old. The cities and semesters are the minimal aggregation units.

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The Role of Income on the Relationship Between the Brazilian Cash Transfer Program (Programa Bolsa Família) and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence From a Multigroup Path Analysis

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260520951313 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 088626052095131

Author(s):

Tatiana Henriques Leite ◽

Claudia Leite de Moraes ◽

Michael Eduardo Reichenheim ◽

Suely Deslandes ◽

Rosana Salles-costa

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Path Analysis ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Psychological Violence ◽

Income Transfer ◽

Transfer Programs ◽

Bolsa Familia

Several initiatives are being proposed to reduce the incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) worldwide. Actions aimed at women’s economic empowerment through income transfer programs are one of those. Still, the literature on their impact is scarce and controversial. This study attempts to shed some light on this matter assessing whether the Brazilian Conditional Cash Transfer Program ( Programa Bolsa Família [PBF]) is a protective factor for psychological and physical IPV against women in families of different levels of income. This is a cross-sectional, household-based study conducted in the city of Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The sample comprised 807 women reporting some intimate relationship in the 12 months before the interview. Information on IPV and participation on PBF were collected through face-to-face interviews using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2) and a direct question, respectively. A multigroup path analysis was applied to study the relations between PBF and psychological and physical IPV, considering confounding factors, some mediators, and moderation by income. The prevalence of both psychological and physical IPV are high, be it in the poverty and the extreme poverty income strata (psychological IPV: 66.2% and 72.7%, respectively; physical IPV: 26.2% and 40.6%, respectively). Results also showed a positive and direct association between PBF and psychological violence, yet only among families above the poverty line (β = .287, p = .001). The same could be found regarding physical violence, but the effect of PBF was indirect, mediated by psychological violence (β = .220, p = .003). Findings suggest that actions aimed at preventing IPV should go hand in hand with the PBF and, perhaps, other income transfer programs. This is even more relevant in relation to the less extreme poverty group where cash transfer may further raise conflicts and violence.

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Income Transfer Policies and Nutritional Condition of Children: An Evaluation of “Bolsa Família”

Revista Econômica ◽

10.22409/economica.15i2.p75 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Mônica Viegas Andrade ◽

Flávia Chein ◽

Rafael Perez Ribas ◽

Jaume Puig-Junoy

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Status ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Evaluation Research ◽

Conditional Cash Transfer ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Bolsa Familia ◽

Using Data ◽

The Impact

This paper investigates the impact of the Bolsa Familia program, a conditional cash transfer program focused on Brazilian poor families, on children‘s nutritional status in a context of low monitoring of conditionalities. The analysis is carried out using data from a baseline survey conducted in 2005, the “Bolsa Família” Impact Evaluation Research. The evaluation is made using the Propensity Score Matchingtechnique. Besides considering observational differences between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of Bolsa Família Program, our empirical strategy also addresses some concerns about informational issues in order to take into account potential endogeneity of the decision to participate in the Program. Our final results show a positive effect of Bolsa Família Program on children nutritional status only whencontrolling for the informational bias and for those children fulfilling educational requirements; however, this positive impact on nutritional status is restricted to BMIfor-age but does not affect height-for-age.

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Decent Work and Social Protection in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Journal of Planning Education and Research ◽

10.1177/0739456x16685157 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 86-97

Author(s):

Mônica A. Haddad ◽

Joshua Hellyer

Keyword(s):

Social Protection ◽

Conditional Cash Transfer ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Decent Work ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Bolsa Familia ◽

Conditional Cash Transfer Program ◽

Belo Horizonte

This article examines how beneficiaries of Brazil’s Bolsa Família (BFP) conditional cash transfer program find employment in a Brazilian municipality and assesses their participation in decent work. Using Belo Horizonte as a case study, researchers conducted a survey of BFP recipients. The article compares responses of informally and formally employed workers to assess how their employment meets the criteria of the decent work agenda. Results indicate no significant difference between perceptions of formal and informal employees concerning discrimination and poor working conditions. Findings lead to recommendations about formalization of employment, coordination with existing job training programs, child care, and transportation.

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The influence of Bolsa Familia conditional cash transfer program on child labor in Brazil

International Journal of Social Economics ◽

10.1108/ijse-02-2015-0038 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 206-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Paloma Santana Moreira Pais ◽

Felipe de Figueiredo Silva ◽

Evandro Camargos Teixeira

Keyword(s):

Child Labor ◽

School Attendance ◽

Conditional Cash Transfer ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Sample Survey ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Content Type ◽

Brazilian Government ◽

Bolsa Familia ◽

The Impact

Purpose The Brazilian Government created the Bolsa Familia program to combat poverty and the insertion of so many children into the labor market. This program is an income transfer program subject to certain conditions such as a minimum school attendance for children under 17 years of age. In 2006, almost half of the people with an income per capita of R$300.00 (US$139.53) per month declared that they received this benefit. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of Bolsa Familia on child labor in Brazil in 2006. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a propensity score matching model with data from the National Household Sample Survey PESQUISA NACIONAL POR AMOSTRA DE DOMICÍLIOS (PNAD), for 2006. Findings Results indicate that the program increased the number of hours of child labor in Brazil. However, this outcome might be explained by the fact that those families who received Bolsa Familia were also those with higher socioeconomic vulnerability. Thus, they need to guarantee their survival with the income generated via child labor. Social implications The Brazilian Government needs to invest not only in monetary transfer policies but also in the improvement of the job market to create opportunities for the social development of children. Originality/value The contribution of the paper is the investigation into the effect of the Bolsa Familia program on the average time allocated to child labor; the authors find that this time allocation could be reduced by requiring a compulsory school attendance.

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Transforming Subjects into Citizens: Insights from Brazil’s Bolsa Família

Perspectives on Politics ◽

10.1017/s1537592714002151 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 829-845 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Wendy Hunter ◽

Natasha Borges Sugiyama

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Conditional Cash Transfer ◽

The State ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Poor People ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Welfare Programs ◽

Bolsa Familia

Welfare programs distribute benefits to citizens. Perhaps even more importantly, by conveying powerful messages about how the state views poor people, welfare programs shape people’s views about themselves as subjects or citizens. Theoretical debates on how public policies can enhance democratic citizenship inspire our study of Brazil’s Bolsa Família (Family Grant). Has this conditional cash transfer program, which forms a major point of contact between the state and millions of poor Brazilians, elevated feelings of social inclusion and agency? A prominent perspective in the welfare-state literature would not expect a positive outcome given the strict means testing and behavioral requirements entailed. Yet our focus group research with Bolsa Família recipients suggests that the program does foster a sense of belonging and efficacy. Policy design and government discourse matter. This innovative welfare program yields rich insights on alternative paths to citizenship development for middle- and low-income countries in the third wave of democracy.

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Evaluating the impact of the Bolsa Familia conditional cash transfer program on premature cardiovascular and all-cause mortality using the 100 million Brazilian cohort: a natural experiment study protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039658 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. e039658

Author(s):

Julia M Pescarini ◽

Peter Craig ◽

Mirjam Allik ◽

Leila Amorim ◽

Sanni Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conditional Cash Transfer ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Survival Models ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Transfer Scheme ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Bolsa Familia ◽

Race Ethnicity ◽

The Impact ◽

Brazilian Cohort

IntroductionBrazil’s Bolsa Familia Program (BFP) is the world’s largest conditional cash transfer scheme. We shall use a large cohort of applicants for different social programmes to evaluate the effect of BFP receipt on premature all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.Methods and analysisWe will identify BFP recipients and non-recipients among new applicants from 2004 to 2015 in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort, a database of 114 million individuals containing sociodemographic and mortality information of applicants to any Brazilian social programme. For individuals applying from 2011, when we have better recorded income data, we shall compare premature (age 30–69) cardiovascular and all-cause mortality among BFP recipients and non-recipients using regression discontinuity design (RDD) with household monthly per capita income as the forcing variable. Effects will be estimated using survival models accounting for individuals follow-up. To test the sensitivity of our findings, we will estimate models with different bandwidths, include potential confounders as covariates in the survival models, and restrict our data to locations with the most reliable data. In addition, we will estimate the effect of BFP on studied outcomes using propensity score risk-set matching, separately for individuals that applied ≤2010 and >2011, allowing comparability with RDD. Analyses will be stratified by geographical region, gender, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position. We will investigate differential impacts of BFP and the presence of effect modification for a combination of characteristics, including gender and race/ethnicity.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the ethics committees of Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and the University of Glasgow College of Medicine and Veterinary Life Sciences. The deidentified dataset will be provided to researchers, and data analysis will be performed in a safe computational environment without internet access. Study findings will be published in high quality peer-reviewed research articles. The published results will be disseminated in the social media and to policy-makers.

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Dietary patterns of children aged 6–24 months assisted by the Bolsa Família Program

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021004110 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-26

Author(s):

Marília Moura e Mendes ◽

Giovana de Montemor Marçal ◽

Ana Elisa Madalena Rinaldi ◽

Nassib Bezerra Bueno ◽

Telma Maria de Menezes Toledo Florêncio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dietary Patterns ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Principal Component ◽

Conditional Cash Transfer ◽

The State ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Processed Foods ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Bolsa Familia

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to verify the association between socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and dietary patterns (DP) of children assisted by the Conditional Cash Transfer Program, Bolsa Família (BFP). Design: This is a cross-sectional study. DP were defined using a principal component analysis. The association of the predictive variables and DP was modelled using multilevel linear regression analysis. Setting: This study was conducted in six municipalities from the State of Alagoas, Brazil. Participants: The participants were children aged 6–24 months who were assisted by the BFP. Results: A total of 1,604 children were evaluated. Four DPs were identified (DP1, DP2, DP3, and DP4). DP1 is composed of traditional Brazilian food. DP2 is formed mostly from ultra-processed foods (UPF). DP3 consists of milk (non-breast) with added sugar, while DP4 consists of fresh and minimally processed foods. Caregivers with higher age and education (β = −0.008; 95%CI: [−0.017; −0.000]; β = −0.037; 95%CI: [−0.056; −0.018], respectively) were negatively associated with DP2. We observed a negative association between households with food insecurity (β = −0.204; 95%CI: [−0.331; −0.078]) and DP4 and a positive association between caregivers with higher age and education (β = 0.011; 95%CI: [0.003; 0.019]; β = 0.043; 95%CI: [0.025; 0.061], respectively) and DP4. Conclusion: This study identified the association between socioeconomic inequities and DP early in life, with an early introduction of UPF, in children assisted by BFP in the State of Alagoas.

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Income transfer policies and the impacts on the immunization of children: the Bolsa Família Program

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2012000700013 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 (7) ◽

pp. 1347-1358 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Mônica Viegas Andrade ◽

Flávia Chein ◽

Laetícia Rodrigues de Souza ◽

Jaume Puig-Junoy

Keyword(s):

Conditional Cash Transfer ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Immunization Schedule ◽

Transfer Program ◽

Income Transfer ◽

Its Regions ◽

Matching Technique ◽

Bolsa Familia ◽

Conditional Cash Transfer Program ◽

The Impact

This paper investigates the impact of the Bolsa Família Program on the immunization of children from 0 to 6 years of age in Brazil and its regions. The Bolsa Família program is a conditional cash transfer program. One of its conditionalities is the compliance of children with the immunization schedule ordered by the Ministry of Health. The evaluation was performed using the Propensity Score Matching technique. We used data from a survey conducted in 2005 evaluating the program - Pesquisa de Avaliação de Impacto do Programa Bolsa Família. The main findings suggest that the Bolsa Família Program does not affect the immunization status of children.

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