Molyneux Mothers at the Service of the New Poverty Agenda Progresa Oportunidades Mexico

Overview of Losses and Gains in Social Policy

Key Focus: Examines changes and continuities in social protection in Latin America, with emphasis on the role of motherhood in anti-poverty programs.
Progresa/Oportunidades: A flagship cash transfer program established in Mexico in 1997; combines maternalist policy with recent social welfare approaches.
Article Structure:
- Describes gendered assumptions in social policy.
- Provides an overview of social policy provision in Latin America.
- Critically examines implications of Progresa's selective and gendered construction of social need.

Historical Context: Gender bias prevails in social policy; benefits distributed based on traditional gender roles (male breadwinner vs. female dependent).
Women’s Role: Although women's entry into the labor force has increased, social policies often reflect patriarchal structures.
Cultural Norms: Assumptions about women as caregivers, relying on male family members for support remain prevalent throughout social provisions.

Welfare State Development: Only five countries (Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Chile, and Cuba) developed a form of welfare state.
Historical Social Provision: Early social provision focused on education and health primarily benefited men.
Historical Movements: Women were early social policy claimants due to their maternal roles; eugenics movements from the 1920s promoted maternal benefits.
Social Rights Expansion: Increased demand for social rights influenced labor movements through the 20th century.

Economic Crises: The debt crisis of the 1980s severely impacted social protection systems, exacerbating poverty.
Gendered Impact of Reforms: Women assumed greater responsibility for household survival as welfare systems weakened, leading to socio-economic shifts.

Global Trends: The implementation of the New Poverty Agenda shifted focus towards empowerment and community participation in the 1990s.
Concepts of Co-responsibility and Empowerment: New policies emphasize individual responsibility and co-management between communities and agencies.
- Objectives: Build capabilities of the poor and enhance agency in decision-making.

Characteristics: Combines targeted cash transfer mechanisms with a focus on education and health; directed primarily at women, reinforcing maternal responsibilities.
Expansion: Progresa expanded coverage from rural to urban areas; reached 5 million households.
Funding and Evaluation: Funded by government and international loans; subject to regular evaluations which have indicated positive effects on poverty reduction.

Women as Key Participants: Financial transfers are targeted at mothers to improve children's welfare, reinforcing traditional gender roles in family relations.
Criticism of Conditionality: Some participants perceive the conditionality of transfers as a burden, generating perceptions of inequality and excess obligations.

Positive Impacts: Increased school attendance and health indicators, with active participation women's empowerment observed in some cases.
Continuing Challenges: Despite increased status, women's empowerment remains limited; many programs do not address economic autonomy needs.
Conflict Between Roles: Women's participation might lead to increased workloads without adequate economic support, influencing relations within households negatively.

Overall Assessment: Progresa exemplifies the maternalist approach of much of Latin America’s new anti-poverty programs, addressing immediate needs but often perpetuating gendered norms.
Need for Sustainable Development: Genuine poverty relief requires addressing underlying systemic inequalities, improving local economic opportunities, and enhancing gender equity.