UTILIZATION OF FUNDS AMONG RURAL FAMILIES UNDER EHSAAS PROGRAM: A SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS
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Abstract
Social safety nets such as the Ehsaas program in Pakistan are essential in poverty reduction especially in the rural regions. Although the program gives direct cash transfer, the final success will be determined by the ways in which the beneficiary households are utilizing the cash. Very few studies have been conducted to understand how socio-demographic factors shape these spending patterns among rural population. This paper set out to undertake a socio-demographic analysis on the way rural families in the Layyah District of Pakistan make use of the money they get as a result of the Ehsaas program. It particularly determined how age, education, gender, primary income source, and land ownership affected the use of cash assistance. The study was carried out within three Union Councils of Tehsil Layyah which were rural. A collection of 110 respondents was chosen out of 44 villages. The data were gathered by use of face-to-face interviews. The results showed statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05) of all the chosen socio-demographic factors and utilization of Ehsaas funds. The findings revealed that level of utilization was much higher among older people (>50 years) and those with formal education. Utilization was 100 percent high among beneficiaries whose major source of income was non-farm (e.g. daily labor) and low dependency to cash support was observed among the landowners. It was found that there was a sharp gender disparity with 100 percent high utilization in males as compared to their counterparts, the females, who demonstrated low utilization mainly because of limited decision-making power. The study finds that socio-demographic factors are important factors that determine the effectiveness with which rural households use cash assistance. The results highlight the necessity of targeted interventions, such as the introduction of financial literacy among younger and less-educated beneficiaries, and gender-sensitive initiatives that will enable women to make financial decisions.
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