Assessing the Differential Impact of “Juntos” Conditional Cash Transfer on Indigenous Peoples

Gissele Gajate Garrido, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

The evaluation literature has recorded numerous success stories related to conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs on human development outcomes. Yet there are still concerns about the impact on specific populations, such as indigenous populations, which due to geographical or cultural isolation might not be benefiting as much as the average participant. This paper examines the impact of the CCT Juntos on health behaviors and educational and anthropometric outcomes for indigenous populations using Propensity Score Weighting estimation techniques. It focuses on Peru a country with a large indigenous population and on transition points, where CCT programs have been documented to have the largest impacts. It finds that bad educational outcomes (failing and dropping out from school) are higher for 12-14 years old indigenous boys who participated in Juntos. In contrast, impacts on health behaviors are positive but also driven by indigenous boys’ results. The results for anthropometric outcomes are not conclusive.