Making change with cash? Impact of a conditional cash transfer programme on age of marriage in India

This brief summarises the evaluation of a conditional cash transfer programme (CTT) led by the government of Haryana, India. The programme was aimed at delaying marriage for girls and increasing their value in society. Although the CTT helped keeping girls in school until the 8th grade, it did not have a key effect on changing behaviours around child marriage. Most parents continued to see marriage as the only option for their daughters once they turned 18. The study suggest that CTTs alone are not enough to change communities' atittudes and aspirations for girls.