GENDER-TARGETED CASH TRANSFERS AND GIRLS’ EDUCATIONAL ENROLMENT: DISTRICT-LEVEL EVIDENCE FROM PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

This paper examines the effectiveness of gender-specific Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs in increasing girls' school enrolment in Punjab, Pakistan. Although access to education has been increasing, gender inequalities in education persist in most districts, especially in low-income households, where financial constraints have been a major determinant of schooling decisions. The Government of Punjab has tried to overcome these obstacles by introducing stipend programs that focus on the enrolment of girls in state schools. Based on district-level panel data spanning 2021-2023 for 36 districts, this research paper assesses the effectiveness of the stipend program in increasing girls' enrolment. The sample size is 108 district-years, and the education variables, such as girls' enrolment, school-to-teacher ratios (girls), and schools and facilities, are obtained from the Program Monitoring and Implementation Unit (PMIU) school census. Census-based projections are used to include district population data as control variables. The study uses a Fixed Effects Difference-in-Differences (DID) econometric framework to explain unobserved heterogeneity across districts. The empirical data show that the percentage change in girls' enrolment in stipend districts was statistically significant, with an increase of about 6.2 per cent in 2023 compared to non-stipend districts, although the difference in 2022 was not statistically significant. The results indicate that targeted financial rewards can be significant in alleviating economic constraints to female education and in enhancing school attendance among girls in the developing world.