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Cash transfers have notable positive effects on young people's participation and performance in education, human capital accumulation and other outcomes. By enabling families' investment in their children, cash transfers can contribute to equality of opportunity for youth development and well-being.

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Type Title Country(s) Year Citation
Journal Article Unconditional cash transfers and safe transitions to adulthood in Malawi Malawi 2024
Journal Article A “Plus” Model for Safe Transitions to Adulthood: Impacts of an Integrated Intervention Layered onto A National Social Protection Program on Sexual Behavior and Health Seeking among Tanzania's Youth Tanzania 2022

Waidler J, Gilbert U, Mulokozi A, Palermo T. A “Plus” Model for Safe Transitions to Adulthood: Impacts of an Integrated Intervention Layered onto A National Social Protection Program on Sexual Behavior and Health Seeking among Tanzania’s Youth. Stud Fam Plann. 2022 Mar 21. doi: 10.1111/sifp.12190. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35315072.

Journal Article Impacts of a Cash Plus Intervention on Gender Attitudes Among Tanzanian Adolescents Tanzania 2020

Chzhen, Y., Prencipe, L., Eetaama, F., Luchemba, P., Mnyawami Lukongo, T., Palermo, T. (2020) Impacts of a Cash Plus Intervention on Gender Attitudes Among Tanzanian Adolescents, Journal of Adolescent Health, ISSN: 1054-139X, Vol: 68, Issue: 5, Page: 899-905

Journal Article A cash plus program reduces youth exposure to physical violence in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 2020

Chakrabarti, A., Handa, S., Angeles, G., Seidenfeld, D. (2020) A cash plus program reduces youth exposure to physical violence in Zimbabwe,
World Development, Volume 134, 105037, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105037

Journal Article Do Conditional Cash Transfers Improve Mental Health? Evidence From Tanzania’s Governmental Social Protection Program Tanzania 2021

Prencipe, L., Houweling, T., van Lenthe, F., Palermo, T. (2021). “Do Conditional Cash Transfers Improve Mental Health? Evidence From Tanzania’s Governmental Social Protection Program”, Journal of Adolescent Health, ISSN 1054-139X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.04.033.

Video Cash Transfers, Early Marriage & Fertility in Malawi & Zambia Malawi; Zambia 2019

Cash Transfers, Early Marriage & Fertility in Malawi & Zambia

Journal Article How does a national poverty program influence sexual debut among Kenyan adolescents? Kenya 2016

Handa S, Palermo T, Rosenberg M, Pettifor A, Tucker Halpern C and Thirumurthy H. (2016). How does a national poverty program influence sexual debut among Kenyan adolescents? Global Public Health, 5: 617-638.

Journal Article Palermo T. (2018). Cash transfers and safe transitions to adulthood: evidence, promise and gaps in sub-Saharan Africa. Policy in Focus, 15(3): 22-24. Children and social protection: meeting children's rights and needs. International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG). UNDP. 2018 Palermo T. (2018). Cash transfers and safe transitions to adulthood: evidence, promise and gaps in sub-Saharan Africa. Policy in Focus, 15(3): 22-24. Children and social protection: meeting children's rights and needs. International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG). UNDP.
Journal Article The role of productive activities in the lives of adolescents: Photovoice evidence from Malawi Malawi 2018

Zietz S, de Hoop J and Handa S. (2018).The role of productive activities in the lives of adolescents: Photovoice evidence from Malawi.Children and Youth Services Review, 86: 246-255.

Journal Article The Government of Kenya's Cash Transfer Program Reduces the Risk of Sexual Debut Among Young People Age 15-25 Kenya 2014

Handa S, Halpern C, Pettifor A andThirumurthy H. (2014).The Government of Kenya’s Cash Transfer Program Reduces the Risk of Sexual Debut Among Young People Age 15-25,PLOS ONE 9(1): 1-9.

Journal Article Rosenberg M, Pettifor A, Thirumurthy H, Halpern CT and Handa S. (2014).The Impact of a National Poverty Reduction Program on the Characteristics of Sex Partners Among Kenyan Adolescents,AIDS and Behavior, 18(2): 311-316. Kenya 2014 Rosenberg M, Pettifor A, Thirumurthy H, Halpern CT and Handa S. (2014).The Impact of a National Poverty Reduction Program on the Characteristics of Sex Partners Among Kenyan Adolescents,AIDS and Behavior, 18(2): 311-316.
Journal Article The Kenya CT-OVC Evaluation Team. (2012).The impact of Kenya's Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children on human capital.Journal of Development Effectiveness 4(1): 38-49. Kenya 2012 The Kenya CT-OVC Evaluation Team. (2012).The impact of Kenya's Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children on human capital.Journal of Development Effectiveness 4(1): 38-49.
Blog Mind the gender gap: How can a gender-norm lens improve social protection outcomes for adolescents? 2018

Mind the gender gap: How can a gender-norm lens improve social protection outcomes for adolescents?Maja Gavrilovic and Tia Palermo (UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti), September 2018.

Blog Cash support: A new tool to decrease Intimate Partner Violence? 2018

Cash support: A new tool to decrease Intimate Partner Violence?Ana Maria Buller andMeghna Ranganathan (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) andAmber Peterman (UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti), September 2018.

Blog The Rwanda Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP) public works and women's empowerment.Pamela Pozarny (GSDRC at the University of Birmingham/ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations), April 2016. 2016 The Rwanda Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP) public works and women's empowerment.Pamela Pozarny (GSDRC at the University of Birmingham/ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations), April 2016.
Blog Marriage, Fertility, and HIV Prevention: Have Our High Hopes for Cash Transfer Programmes and Adolescent Girls been Dashed? 2015

Marriage, Fertility, and HIV Prevention: Have Our High Hopes for Cash Transfer Programmes and Adolescent Girls been Dashed? Tia Palermo (UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti), December 2015.

Blog Giving girls a chance 2015

Giving girls a chance Michelle Mills (UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti), August 2015.

Blog Evidence from Africa shows cash transfers increase school enrollment 2015

Evidence from Africa shows cash transfers increase school enrolment Tia Palermo (UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti), February 2015.

Podcast Tia Palermo (UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti) on'Cash Plus' for adolescents in Tanzania: How it started, where it's going, and why research matters Tanzania Tia Palermo (UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti) on'Cash Plus' for adolescents in Tanzania: How it started, where it's going, and why research matters
Brief Ujana Salama: Cash Plus Model on Youth Well-Being and Safe, Healthy Transitions - Midline findings (Swahili Version). Innocenti Research Brief 2020-22 Tanzania 2020

UNICEF Innocenti (2020). Ujana Salama: Cash Plus Model on Youth Well-Being and Safe, Healthy Transitions – Midline findings (English version) (Swahili Version). Innocenti Research Brief 2020-22. UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence, Italy.

Brief Tanzania's Productive Social Safety Net Programme (PSSN) and Its Impacts On Youth. Transfer Project Brief 2018-07 Tanzania 2018

Waidler J on behalf of the Tanzania Cash Transfer Evaluation Team. (2018). Tanzania’s Productive Social Safety Net Programme (PSSN) and Its Impacts On Youth. Transfer Project Brief 2018-07. Chapel Hill, NC: Carolina Population Center, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Brief Ujana Salama: Cash plus model on youth well-being and safe, healthy transitions. Transfer Project Brief 2018-06 Tanzania 2018

Tanzania Cash Plus Evaluation Team. (2018). Ujana Salama: Cash plus model on youth well-being and safe, healthy transitions. Transfer Project Brief 2018-06. Chapel Hill, NC: Carolina Population Center, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Brief PSSN impact evaluation: Youth well-being and the transition to adulthood. Transfer Project Brief 2018-05 Tanzania 2018

Prencipe L. (2018). PSSN impact evaluation: Youth well-being and the transition to adulthood. Transfer Project Brief 2018-05. Chapel Hill, NC: Carolina Population Center, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Brief Evaluating impacts of the PSSN on youth transitions to adulthood in Tanzania. Transfer Project Brief 2018-04 Tanzania 2018

Prencipe L. (2018). Evaluating impacts of the PSSN on youth transitions to adulthood in Tanzania. Transfer Project Brief 2018-04. Chapel Hill, NC: Carolina Population Center, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Working and Position Paper Are Cash Transfers a Silver Bullet? Evidence from the Zambian Child Grant Zambia 2014

Handa S, Seidenfeld D, Davis B, Tembo G and the Zambia Cash Transfer Evaluation Team (2014). Are Cash Transfers a Silver Bullet? Evidence from the Zambian Child Grant. Innocenti Working Papers No. 2014-08, UNICEF Office of Research, Florence.

Brief Cash Transfers and Gender: A closer look at the Zambian Child Grant Programme. Innocenti Research Briefs no. 2016-08 Zambia 2016

Peterman A,Natali L.(2016). Cash Transfers and Gender: A closer look at the Zambian Child Grant Programme. Innocenti Research Briefs no. 2016-08, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence.

Brief Cash Transfers Improve the Mental Health and Well-being of Youth: Evidence from the Kenyan Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Innocenti Research Briefs no. 2016-02 Kenya 2016

Pereira A. (2016). Cash Transfers Improve the Mental Health and Well-being of Youth: Evidence from the Kenyan Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Innocenti Research Briefs no. 2016-02, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence.

Brief Social cash transfers, early pregnancy and marriage in the Kenyan national cash transfer programme Kenya 2015

Pereira A and Peterman A. (2015). Social cash transfers, early pregnancy and marriage in the Kenyan national cash transfer programme. UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti Research Brief 2015-05, Florence.

Journal Article Government of Malawi's Unconditional Cash Transfer Improves Youth Mental Health Malawi 2016

Angeles G, de Hoop J, Handa S, Kilburn K, Milazzo A & Peterman A on behalf of the Malawi Cash Transfer Evaluation Team (2019). Government of Malawi’s Unconditional Cash Transfer Improves Youth Mental Health.Social Science & Medicine (in press)

Journal Article Cash Transfers, Early Marriage, and Fertility in Malawi and Zambia Malawi; Zambia 2018

Dake F, Natali L, Angeles G, de Hoop J, Handa S and Peterman A on behalf of the Malawi Cash Transfer Evaluation Team and the Zambia Cash Transfer Evaluation Team. (2018). Cash Transfers, Early Marriage, and Fertility in Malawi and Zambia. Studies in Family Planning, 49(4): 295-317.

Journal Article Using photo elicitation methods to understand resilience among ultra-poor youth and their caregivers in Malawi Malawi 2017

Barrington C, Villa-Torres L, Abdoulayi S, Tsoka MG and Mvula PM. (2017). Using photo elicitation methods to understand resilience among ultra-poor youth and their caregivers in Malawi. Health Education & Behavior, 0: 1-11.

Journal Article Social networks, social participation, and health among youth living in extreme poverty in rural Malawi Malawi 2016

Rock A, Barrington C, Abdoulayi S, Tsoka M, Mvula P and Handa S. (2016). Social networks, social participation, and health among youth living in extreme poverty in rural Malawi. Social Science & Medicine, 170: 5562.

Brief Malawi Social Cash Transfer Programme Impact Evaulation: Young Children and Adolescents at Baseline. The Transfer Project Research Brief 2015-06 Malawi 2015

Brugh K,Kilburn K and Barrington C. (2015). Malawi Social Cash Transfer Programme Impact Evaulation: Young Children and Adolescents at Baseline. The Transfer Project Research Brief 2015-06. Chapel Hill, NC: Carolina Population Center, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Journal Article Reducing Adolescent Risky Behaviors in a High-Risk Context: The Effects of Unconditional Cash Transfers in South Africa South Africa 2017

Heinrich C, Hoddinott J and Samson M. (2017). Reducing Adolescent Risky Behaviors in a High-Risk Context: The Effects of Unconditional Cash Transfers in South Africa.Economic Development and Cultural Change, 65(4).

Brief Ujana Salama: Cash Plus Model on Youth Well-Being and Safe, Healthy Transitions - Midline findings (English version) Tanzania 2020

UNICEF Innocenti (2019). Ujana Salama: Cash Plus Model on Youth Well-Being and Safe, Healthy Transitions – Midline findings. Innocenti Research Brief 2020-22. UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence, Italy.

Brief The broad range of cash transfer impacts in sub-Saharan Africa: Consumption, Human Capital and Productive Activity Ethiopia; Ghana; Kenya; Lesotho; Malawi; South Africa; Tanzania; Zambia; Zimbabwe 2014

Davis B and Handa S. (2014). The broad range of cash transfer impacts in sub-Saharan Africa: Consumption, Human Capital and Productive Activity. Transfer Project Research Brief. Chapel Hill, NC: Carolina Population Center, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Journal Article Child marriage and associated outcomes in Northern Ghana: a cross-sectional study Ghana 2018

de Groot R, Yiryele Kuunyem M and Palermo T on behalf of the Ghana LEAP 1000 Evaluation Team. (2018). Child marriage and associated outcomes in Northern Ghana: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 18: 285.

Journal Article Examination of performance of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Short Form 10 among African youth in poor, rural households Kenya; Malawi; Tanzania; Zambia; Zimbabwe 2018

Kilburn K, Prencipe L, Hjelm L, Peterman A, Handa S and Palermo T. (2018). Examination of performance of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Short Form 10 among African youth in poor, rural households. BMC Psychiatry, 18(201).

Journal Article The impact of the Kenya Cash Transfer Program for Orphans and Vulnerable Children on Household Spending Kenya 2012

Kenya CT-OVC Evaluation Team. (2012). The impact of the Kenya Cash Transfer Program for Orphans and Vulnerable Children on Household Spending. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 4(10): 9-37.