As part of a vulnerable group, women need social protection to cope with risky situations. By enabling them to earn an income, social protection contributes to women’s empowerment. However, in Cameroon, social protection is limited to a tiny fraction of the population. This article assesses the effect of social protection on women’s empowerment in Cameroon. Empowerment is measured by women’s participation in income-related decision-making. The econometric analysis is performed using an extended ordered probit model based on the 2017 Finscope database. The results reveal that social protection, whether formal, informal, or mixed, has a positive effect on women’s empowerment in Cameroon. However, formal social protection contributes more to women’s empowerment than informal social protection. Thus, public policies aimed at women’s empowerment must promote better integration of women into the social protection system and provide state support for informal groups.
Social Protection and Women’s Economic Empowerment
A Comparative Analysis of Formal, Informal, and Mixed Mechanisms in Cameroon
- Mawafo Kamdoum Vladimir Elsy
- Karl-I-Bond Menfo Zembong
- Christian Lambert Nguena