Conditional cash transfers and educational inequality in Pakistan
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22436632 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sahibzada Muhammad Hamza (0009-0008-2479-3785, Hamad bin Khalifa University, corresponding author), Logan Cochrane (0000-0001-7321-8295, Hamad bin Khalifa University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-16 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Discover Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2731-5525 • E-ISSN: 2731-5525 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s44217-026-01190-w |
| OpenAlex | W7129090997 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 42 |
Pakistan faces one of the highest rates of out-of-school children globally, with 22.8 million children lacking access to formal education. This study examines the structural, socio-economic, and cultural barriers to school enrollment and retention, using nationally representative data from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey (2010–11, 2014–15, 2019–20). Logistic regression models identify three principal determinants of exclusion: financial constraints, parental denial rooted in sociocultural norms, and child labor. Results show that child labor exerts the strongest negative effect on educational attainment, particularly in rural areas, while education costs disproportionately burden low-income households. Parental denial emerges as a persistent barrier across all years, sustaining gender-based inequities. To assess policy responses, the study evaluates the Zewar-e-Taleem conditional cash transfer program, which provides stipends to girls in marginalized districts. Findings demonstrate that the program significantly increases female enrollment, underscoring the effectiveness of targeted financial incentives. The results highlight the need for comprehensive reforms, including increased public investment in education, scaling up of conditional cash transfers, and community-driven campaigns to challenge restrictive social norms. By integrating rigorous empirical analysis with policy evaluation, this paper contributes evidence on strategies to advance inclusive and equitable education in Pakistan and comparable contexts in the Global South.
Cash · Cash transfers · Conditional cash transfer · Denial · Empirical evidence · Inequality · Public policy · Sociocultural evolution · Survey data collection · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Microfinance and Financial Inclusion · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
Conditional Cash Transfers
Child Farm Labor
Returns to investment in education
Promoting inclusion and equity in education
Cash or Condition? Evidence from a Cash Transfer Experiment
Human Capital
Orthodox Islamic institutions and individual income
A Basic Right Denied
The Covid-19 Cost of School Closures in Earnings and Income across the World
Education Matters
Toward a Critical Race Theory of Education
Early Childhood between a Rock and a Hard Place
Family size, schooling and child labor in Peru - An empirical analysis
Intrahousehold Inequalities in Child Rights and Well-Being. A Barrier to Progress
Parental Education and Child Health—Understanding the Pathways of Impact in Pakistan
Early Marriage, Age of Menarche, and Female Schooling Attainment in Bangladesh
Gender Bias in Bangladeshi School Textbooks
Young People’s Stories of School Failure and Remedial Trajectories – Clues to Prevention of School Absenteeism and Early School Leaving
Climate Change 2022 - Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
The More the Merrier? The Effect of Family Size and Birth Order on Children's Education
Why He Won't Send His Daughter to School-Barriers to Girls' Education in Northwest Pakistan
A Gospel of Prosperity? An Analysis of the Relationship Between Religion and Earned Income in Ghana, the Most Religious Country in the World
Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |