Paper short abstract:

Women belonging to dairy cooperatives or faith groups in Gujarat have better access to social protection. This has resulted in improved food security for their households. These findings have implications for the achievement of SDGs related to social protection coverage.

Paper long abstract:

While several social protection instruments exist to improve the financial status and food security of vulnerable households, access to these instruments is often disparate. The study aimed to examine the impact of women's networks on the access to social protection for women in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Data was collected through 465 structured interviews with women from cattle-rearing households, and a multivariate analysis was performed. The key finding was that women who belong to networks such as women-led dairy cooperatives, bhajan mandlis, or savings groups have better access to social protection due to their increased bargaining power and access to information. Being part of a gender-based network provided women with a sense of solidarity and support, which helped them to advocate for their rights and claim entitlements. These networks also provided women with important information and resources related to social protection schemes and programs, which they may not have been aware of otherwise. Furthermore, the networks often served as a platform for collective action, allowing women to come together and demand their entitlements from the government and other institutions. This was particularly important in contexts where women may have faced barriers to accessing social protection due to their gender, class, or caste. A subsection of Sustainable Development Goal 1 is to increase the social protection coverage of the poor and vulnerable population. This study has implications towards the realization of that target by highlighting the important role that networks can play in improving access to social protection for women.