ABSTRACT
New approaches to address poverty in the form of conditional cash transfer programmes (CCTs) provide an example of the new “inclusive liberalism” developed in Latin America. Drawing on the Argentine case, this chapter explores the gender-differentiated rights and obligations expected of poor citizens, the mechanisms put in place for “including” poor women and men within mainstream society and finally reflects upon the gender implications of new forms of social protection developed in the region, hand in hand with the rise of the new social policy paradigm. It discusses the main features of Plan Jefas and its consequences in terms of poverty, employment creation and gendered inequalities in entitlements. The Argentine strategy targets unemployed-not poor-heads of households and its long-term strategy of inclusion is based on paid labour and not human capital development. In practical terms, the contribution of the work conditionality to labour market inclusion remains debatable.
