A Gendered Analysis on Cash for Work Programming in Lahj Governorate

Cash for Work (CFW) programmes are designed to help the most vulnerable people meet their essential and basic needs. In Yemen, CFW interventions are responding to an ever-growing proportion of the Yemeni population that are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Working with communities in the targeted areas of Hudayda and Lahj, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIDA-funded CFW programme was shown to be successful in achieving its core objectives: placing money directly into the hands of the most vulnerable people, strengthening community resilience and rehabilitating community assets.

CFW programmes had multiple positive impacts on individuals, families and communities, but barriers to equal participatory access to decision-making regarding CFW programmes persist. There are also significant barriers to including people with disabilities (PWD) in CFW interventions. Through this assessment it was difficult to measure the immediate impacts of CFW interventions on gender relations. Overall, we can conclude that there is no significant shift in gender roles and responsibilities within the household – and nor is there any change in access to and control over resources. However, it is expected if more CFW programmes targeted women, they will be able to have a significant role in household decision-making processes.