North Sumatra

• The Direct Cash Transfer-Village Fund (BLT-DD) program implemented by villages indicates the villages’ ability to manage social assistance programs transparently and accountably.
• The key is village deliberation meeting as the highest-ranked decision-making forum which is held openly and participatorily.
• BLT-DD facilitators’ presence at the meeting is needed to verify and monitor the democratic process.

Soon after raising the price of fuel on 22 June 2013, the Government of Indonesia launched several compensation programs, one of which was the 2013 Unconditional Cash Transfer (BLSM). To access this program, each target household received a social protection card (KPS) that could also be used to access the Subsidized Rice for Poor Households (Raskin) program and Cash Transfer Program for Poor Students (BSM). BLSM provided assistance in the amount of Rp150,000 per month for four months to 15.5 million poor and vulnerable households.

This research is a part of a four-year longitudinal study from 2014–2020 which aims to analyze the impact of the fixed fuel subsidy policy on the livelihood of poor women, particularly on the livelihood aspects that are the working themes of MAMPU.

This study is part of a 2014-2020 longitudinal study series that aims to study the lives of poor women across five themes, namely access to social protection, employment, women migrant workers, maternal and reproductive health, and violence against women (specifically domestic violence). By studying the lives of poor women in five districts in Indonesia (Deli Serdang, Cilacap, Timor Tengah Selatan, Kubu Raya, and Pangkajene and its archipelago), this study developed a preliminary picture of the lives of poor women in relation to the five themes.