Public private partnerships and co-production as drivers of effective social safety nets for rural women in Uganda
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2025-12-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Abstract
Abstract
This study examines the effectiveness of Social Safety Net Programs (SSNPs) in
empowering rural women in Uganda’s Bushenyi District, focusing on the roles of
public–private partnerships (PPPs), policy co-production, and skills enhancement.
Using a convergent mixed-methods design, survey data from 124 women
beneficiaries were integrated with qualitative insights from six key informant
interviews and three focus group discussions. Regression analysis revealed that
PPPs are a strong and significant predictor of SSNP effectiveness (β=0.418, p<.001),
even after controlling for education (β=0.291, p<.01) and age (β=0.159, p<.05),
explaining 59% of the variance in empowerment outcomes (Adjusted R² = 0.576).
Qualitative findings showed that participatory design and context-responsive training,
particularly in tailoring, agriculture, and financial literacy, enhanced women’s agency,
economic independence, and access to services. Engaging African feminist and
intersectional perspectives, the study highlights how PPPs and co-production can
simultaneously reshape and, at times, reinforce existing power relations. The findings
contribute to gender-responsive social protection scholarship by underscoring the
need for governance and accountability mechanisms that move beyond transactional
aid toward transformative gender equity. Practical recommendations emphasize
embedding co-production, education-sensitive interventions, and skills development
into SSNPs to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
Keywords Social safety net programs, Women’s empowerment, Collaborative
governance, Policy co-production, Gender equity, Public-private partnerships (PPPs)
Description
Keywords
Social safety net programs, Women’s empowerment, Collaborative governance, Policy co-production, Gender equity, Public-private partnerships (PPPs)
Citation
Barah, C.I., Siambe, O.F., Onsarigo, T.G. et al. Public private partnerships and co-production as drivers of effective social safety nets for rural women in Uganda. Discov Educ 5, 10 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-01020-5