This case study was undertaken as part of a research project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) (2008-2010) and the Australian Government, (AusAID, under the Australian Development Research Awards 2008) (2008-2011), looking at gender and social protection effectiveness in Latin America, Sub Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

This paper analyses the Brazilian, Colombian, and Chilean experiences with conditional cash transfers and how they have helped to tackle gendered economic and social vulnerabilities. As components of broader social protection strategies, Bolsa Familia (Brazil), Familias en Accion (Colombia), and Chile Solidario (Chile) have been analysed within these broader strategies. Detailed descriptions of the programmes' design and features of implementation are provided in order to understand both their rationale and their impacts.