Subscribe

Back

Who we are

With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Carlo Azzarri

Carlo Azzarri is a Senior Research Fellow in the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. His work focuses on the relationships among poverty, nutrition, food security, agriculture, the environment, production, and migration—analyzed at both micro and macroeconomic levels, primarily using quantitative methods.

Back

What we do

Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

Research topics

Projects and impact

Modeling tools

Project microsites

What’s new

Where we work

Back

Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

IFPRI Regional Programs

IFPRI Country Programs

Research by country and region

Subscribe
TOPIC

Social Protection

Social protection aims to reduce poverty, increase opportunity, and strengthen individuals’ and households’ resilience to shocks. Social protection includes social assistance (such as cash transfers, public works, or school feeding), social insurance (such as old age pension, health insurance, and crop insurance), social care (such as family support services), and labor and economic inclusion (such as job search programs or economic inclusion programs). Social protection targets multiple risks (poverty, health, employment, natural disaster) at various stages of the life cycle (childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age).

IFPRI conducts rigorous impact evaluations on a variety of social protection programs, including unconditional and conditional cash transfer programs; emergency assistance in the form of cash and/or food; school feeding programs; maternal and child health and nutrition programs; public works programs; and insurance programs. These impact evaluations use state-of-the-art methodologies to evaluate the impacts of these policies and identify the most cost-effective designs for social protection programs.

… read more

Evaluations in social protection have assessed effects on poverty and food security as well as a wide range of other outcomes, including maternal and child health and nutrition, women’s empowerment, intimate partner violence, financial inclusion, labor, schooling, and mental health. Recently, IFPRI has focused on assessing how social protection can protect the well-being of individuals and households in LMICs against negative impacts of climate change and facilitate their adaptation to a changing climate. IFPRI had conducted impact evaluations of social protection programs and related research in Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Malawi, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Turkey. It has also pointed to the important role these programs can play in crises including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, and regional exposure to natural disasters.

IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG1, SDG2, and SDG16, and the CGIAR Impact Areas on Nutrition, Health, and Food Security; Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods, and Jobs; and Gender Equality, Youth, and Social Inclusion.

social_protection

topics

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Evolution of intimate partner violence impacts from cash transfers, food transfers, and behaviour change communication: Mixed-method experimental evidence from a nine-year post-programme follow-up in Bangladesh

2025Lokot, Michelle; Sultana, Nasrin; Hidrobo, Melissa; Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John F.; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini; Ranganathan, Meghna
Details

Evolution of intimate partner violence impacts from cash transfers, food transfers, and behaviour change communication: Mixed-method experimental evidence from a nine-year post-programme follow-up in Bangladesh

Cash or food transfers can reduce intimate partner violence (IPV), but knowledge gaps remain on how impacts evolve over time, and the role of complementary ‘plus’ activities and contextual factors. We conducted a mixed-method analysis of how the Transfer Modality Research Initiative in Bangladesh affected IPV over time. The programme was implemented from 2012 to 2014, following a randomised controlled trial (RCT) design, across Northern and Southern Bangladesh. Intervention arms included monthly cash or food transfers, with or without complementary nutrition behaviour change communication (BCC). We estimate post-programme impacts on IPV using quantitative data collected in 2014–2015, 2018, and 2022, and combine this with qualitative data collected in 2023 to explore how and why IPV impacts evolved over time and the role of contextual factors. In the North, combining cash with BCC led to sustained IPV reductions in each post-programme round, while cash alone reduced IPV in 2022 but not the previous two rounds; food transfers showed no post-programme impacts. In the South, combining food with BCC led to post-programme IPV reductions in 2014–2015; no intervention sustained IPV reductions thereafter. Sustained IPV reductions are primarily driven by improved household economic security and emotional well-being. Other pathways – family relationships (including in-laws’ roles), women’s empowerment, and social and community support – contributed to changing couples’ relationships during the programme but became less salient after the programme ended. Contextual factors, including demographic changes, climate-related changes, external projects and norms condoning IPV appear to influence the sustainability of impacts. Results suggest that ‘plus’ programming was key to sustaining IPV impacts soon after the interventions, but less so by nine years post-programme, as economic security increasingly drove impacts. More mixed method research is needed from the outset to unpack if and how pathways to IPV reduction can be sustained in different contexts over time.

Year published

2025

Authors

Lokot, Michelle; Sultana, Nasrin; Hidrobo, Melissa; Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John F.; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini; Ranganathan, Meghna

Citation

Lokot, Michelle; Sultana, Nasrin; Hidrobo, Melissa; Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini; and Ranganathan, Meghna. 2025. Evolution of intimate partner violence impacts from cash transfers, food transfers, and behaviour change communication: Mixed-method experimental evidence from a nine-year post-programme follow-up in Bangladesh. Social Science and Medicine 371(April 2025): 117901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117901

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Behaviour; Cash Transfers; Communication; Domestic Violence; Social Protection

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117901 Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Sustainable poverty reduction through social assistance: Modality, context, and complementary programming in Bangladesh

2025Ahmed, Akhter; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Kolt, Bastien; Roy, Shalini; Tauseef, Salauddin
Details

Sustainable poverty reduction through social assistance: Modality, context, and complementary programming in Bangladesh

Social assistance programs can increase consumption and reduce poverty, but less is known about whether these impacts are sustained after programs end, or how design and context influence sustainability. Using data collected in two regions of Bangladesh four years after a randomized intervention ended, we find that combining cash transfers with complementary programming led to sustained increases in consumption and reductions in poverty. Combining food transfers with complementary programming showed similar patterns, to a lesser extent. Cash alone had context-specific sustained effects; food alone had no sustained impacts. Results suggest that context, modality, and complementary programming matter for sustained impacts.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ahmed, Akhter; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Kolt, Bastien; Roy, Shalini; Tauseef, Salauddin

Citation

Ahmed, Akhter; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John; Kolt, Bastien; Roy, Shalini; and Tauseef, Salauddin. 2025. Sustainable poverty reduction through social assistance: Modality, context, and complementary programming in Bangladesh. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 17(2): 102-126. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20230108

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Southern Asia; Aid Programmes; Poverty; Sustainability; Cash Transfers; Food; Social Protection

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20230108 Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Working Paper

Household coping strategies and food security in the multi-shock environment of Mali

2025Ulimwengu, John M.
Details

Household coping strategies and food security in the multi-shock environment of Mali

This study investigates household coping strategies and food security outcomes within the context of multiple, overlapping shocks, including conflict, food price volatility, climate events, and economic instability. Utilizing a unique household dataset on Mali combined with probit models to account for the compounded effects of these systemic shocks, the analysis highlights significant elasticities between specific shocks and household responses. Key findings demonstrate that while preventive measures, such as income diversification, strengthen resilience, reactive strategies like selling productive assets or borrowing money or food provide only short-term relief but undermine long-term sustainability. The impact of coping strategies on food security measures, including the Food Consumption Score (FCS), Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), and Household Hunger Scale (HHS), reveals the trade-offs Malian households make between immediate needs and future stability. The study emphasizes the critical role of policy interventions in mitigating these vulnerabilities, including strengthening social safety nets, expanding access to financial services, and promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices. By integrating the analysis of multiple shocks, this research provides actionable insights for building household and community resilience in environments of compounded risk.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.

Citation

Ulimwengu, John M. 2025. Household coping strategies and food security in the multi-shock environment of Mali. CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172684

Country/Region

Mali

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Households; Food Security; Shock; Conflicts; Food Prices; Resilience; Social Safety Nets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Working Paper

Blogs

Takaful program: Giving Egypt’s poor a hand up, not just a handout
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 26, 2024

Takaful program: Giving Egypt’s poor a hand up, not just a handout

By Naureen Karachiwalla, Daniel Gilligan, and Sikandra Kurdi

Assessing impacts of cash transfers.

Egypt’s experience bridging cash transfers and an economic inclusion program for sustainable social protection
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 18, 2024

Egypt’s experience bridging cash transfers and an economic inclusion program for sustainable social protection

By James Allen IV, Daniel Gilligan, Sikandra Kurdi, and Basma Yassa

A path for moving out of poverty.

Graduation from poverty: Can a big push program help conflict-affected households? Evidence from Somalia
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 17, 2024

Graduation from poverty: Can a big push program help conflict-affected households? Evidence from Somalia

By Kalle Hirvonen, Naureen Karachiwalla, Jessica Leight, and Deboleena Rakshit

Moving from assistance to self-sufficiency.

View all Blogs

Events

School meals in the 21st century - emerging evidence and future directions
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

January 28, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

School meals in the 21st century – emerging evidence and future directions

Undernutrition during childhood and early adolescence has long-term consequences for development and health, and for girls it can affect the survival and wellbeing of their children. Diet-related risk factors are estimated to cause 20% of global mortality, and changes in food systems have led to rapid shifts to unhealthy diets and reductions in physical activity, […]

SPIR II RFSA Learning Event: Impact results workshops
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

December 9 to 10, 2024

SPIR II RFSA Learning Event: Impact results workshops

December 9, 2024 | 9:30am to 12:00pm (Africa/Addis_Ababa) | Video Recording | Presentation December 9, 2024 | 1:00pm to 3:30pm (Africa/Addis_Ababa) | Video Recording | Presentation December 10, 2024 | 9:30am to 12:45pm (Africa/Addis_Ababa) | Video Recording | Presentation Click HERE to view the agenda. The Strengthen PSNP Institutions and Resilience (SPIR II) Resilience Food […]

The Socio-Economic Impact of Armed Conflict on Sudanese Urban Households
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

November 4, 2024, 9:00 – 12:00 pm

The Socio-Economic Impact of Armed Conflict on Sudanese Urban Households

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has been concentrated in cities, with major impacts on urban households. Large numbers of families are displaced, employment is down dramatically, and most children are unable to go to school. A comprehensive survey conducted earlier this year by IFPRI’ Sudan Strategy Support Program and the United Nations Development Programme provides […]

View all Events

News

February 04, 2025 | Press Release

Solving global hunger: New report highlights school meal programs as drivers of change

School meal programs don’t just ensure children go to school and stay fed — they are a powerful force for change in communities and food systems worldwide. According to the results of the latest Global Survey of School Meal Programs© conducted by Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF), school meal programs can increase demand for nutritious […]

October 04, 2023 | In the News

In Middle East, poor miss out as ‘faulty’ algorithms target aid (Reuters) 

“Poverty assessment methods powered by algorithms are supposed to make payments fairer, but activists and researchers say such tools often wrongly exclude people,” writes Reuters in a story on new tools to benefit social protection.  Sikandra Kurdi, a researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which was hired by the World Bank to […]

August 17, 2023 | In the News

90 Years of the IRC’s Partnerships: Making a difference together (International Rescue Committee) 

IRC mentions IFPRI in an article on its anniversary featuring organization’s history, achievements, and partnerships over the past 90 years.   “Over the last 90 years, the IRC has generated or partnered in the creation of more impact research in conflict zones than any other organization.”  “Google supported the IRC’s 2021 Anticipatory Action project in Nigeria, which […]

View all News

Our experts

Daniel Gilligan

Daniel Gilligan

Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI), Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Deanna Olney

Deanna Olney

Director, Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH), Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Soyra Gune

Soyra Gune

Research Analyst, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Neha Kumar

Neha Kumar

Senior Research Fellow, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Moogdho Mahzab

Moogdho Mahzab

Associate Research Fellow, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Md. Redoy

Md. Redoy

Field Research Officer, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Mariam Dawoud

Mariam Dawoud

Program Manager, Development
Strategies and Governance

Razin Kabir

Razin Kabir

Senior Program Manager, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Cynthia Kazembe

Cynthia Kazembe

Communications Manager, Development
Strategies and Governance