Conditional cash transfers and the reduction in partner violence for young women: An investigation of causal pathways using evidence from a randomized experiment in South Africa

A conditional cash transfer for high school girls has protective effects on their experience of intimate partner violence (IPV), and the effect is due in part to girls choosing not to engage in sexual partnerships, thereby reducing the opportunity for IPV. As a lower exposure to IPV and safer sexual behaviours also protect against HIV acquisition, this study adds to the growing body of evidence on how cash transfers may reduce young women's HIV risk.

Authors: Kilburn, K.N., Pettifor, A., Edwards, J.K., Selin, A., Twine, R., MacPhail, C., et al.