EMPOWERMENT, GENDER INEQUALITY AND SOCIAL MOBILITY IN BOLSA FAMÍLIA PROGRAM

Abstract

This study was carried out to analyze the impact from the income transfer on the empowerment, the gender unlikeness and the social mobility of the women benefiting from the Programa Bolsa Famí­lia. It was classified as descriptive research, as the nature of the surveyed variables being quantitative, whereas 11 counties in the Estado de Minas Gerais were considered as reference. The sample was composed by 255 beneficiary women. The Data Exploratory Analysis (AED) and the Cronbach Alfa were accomplished for validation of the construct empowerments, gender unlikeness and social mobility, that were coherent with the theoretic sense and also resulting from the transfer policy. After the construction of the social dimensions, the Cluster Analysis was accomplished in order to grouping the women according to similar characteristics. The results signalize the occurrence of beneficiary groups with low, average and high favorableness levels according to the Programa Bolsa Famí­lia. It was perceived the Programa Bolsa Famí­lia could function either as a stimulus and change agent in the women lifes; however, its effects are more intimately related with education level, beliefs, and personal values of the women. Thus, the stratification is important in order to work the particularities of the empowerment, of the unlikeness and of the social mobility promotion as flexible and adaptable devices, whereas respecting the observed diversities for better orientation of the public interventions.