The “In Her Hands” initiative is offering eligible women in Georgia, on average, $850-a-month to act against financial fragility and work towards economic progress. Led by the Georgian government, “In Her Hands” was pioneered in 2022 to counteract economic uncertainty among low-income women, mainly Black women, by offering guaranteed, no-condition cash assistance for a fixed duration.
The “In Her Hands” initiative
“In Her Hands” is an unconditional cash transfer program operating in Georgia. It is a joint initiative of the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity (GRO) Fund and GiveDirectly. The program aims to provide direct financial support to women in order for them to have more financial stability and be able to build a better life for themselves.
Eligibility criteria
Eligibility criteria for the “In Her Hands” program are as follows:
- Residency: Residents of specific neighborhoods or counties in Georgia. Initially, target areas included the Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta and Clay-Randolph-Terrell counties, and College Park. The program has since expanded to include the English Avenue, Vine City, Bankhead, and Washington Park neighborhoods in Atlanta.
- Gender identity: The candidates must be females.
- Income level: Candidates’ income should not exceed twice the federal government’s poverty level. For instance, the cutoff for a single person or a family of three members is approximately $30,000 or $ 51,000, respectively.
How it works
The eligible recipients are selected randomly by a lottery system. Once selected they receive the monthly benefit for the fixed period. The first iteration of the program, which began paying out to more than 650 women, paid some an average of $850 a month for 24 months. Other participants in the initial iteration of the program received an up-front lump sum of $4,300 and then monthly payments of $700 a month for the next 23 months. The most recent iteration of the program will distribute approximately $36,000 to about 270 women over three years. Respondents in the second phase are given an option of receiving either $1,000 a month for three years or a sum of $800 per month for three years while the rest of the money becomes a lump sum.
Recipients can spend money on anything ranging from paying off debt, buying groceries, covering childcare expenses, investing in education, or building a rainy-day fund.
Program aims and effectiveness
The “In Her Hands” program is designed to overcome both the financial struggles and systemic hurdles that have kept so many low-income women—especially women of color— housed. With its direct cash payments, the program aims at financial stability, decreasing debt, and increasing economic security.
Early data from the program suggests that participation has had positive impacts on many aspects of participants’ lives. Participants have been able to pay all bills, lower debt, and save for the future while boosting their overall wellbeing. One participant could get permanent housing and get a teaching certificate as a result of the program. Another participant said that this program assisted her in getting along with life, especially during training to become a flight attendant.
How to apply
Applications for the latest tranche of “In Her Hands” have now closed. Applicants can expect to be updated about their application outcome within six weeks from applying.
Guaranteed income and economic empowerment
“In Her Hands” coincides with growing interest in guaranteed income programs as one approach to both poverty alleviation and economic empowerment. Guaranteed income is one of the programs that can provide a frequent unconditional sum of money, placing recipients into a situation of flexibility and autonomy vis-à-vis choices about their needs and how they might better their own lives. The premise for this intervention is that such direct financial support can translate into more significant economic stability and well-being for people.
The “In Her Hands” program is premised on the notion of direct cash assistance coupled with the removal of bureaucratic red tape, to provide a more dignified and effective way of poverty alleviation. Following this vein, community input and partnership are stressed as the core values in the creation of solutions that respond to the needs and priorities of the people they serve.
Read more: Bad news for stimulus check – Time to receive the $1,400 tax relief is over but with one possible avenue to apply still available
Read more: Goodbye to the Child Tax Credit – Republicans eye slashing tax breaks
