In Nigeria, cash transfers to women increase their desire for agency but only when husbands can't see it — revealing the complex interplay between economic empowerment and social norms.

Women's empowerment remains a central development goal, with policymakers frequently using cash transfer programmes to improve women's status within households (Almås et al. 2018, Duflo 2012, Greco et al. 2025). But do these economic interventions actually change power dynamics, or do they merely shift material outcomes? Our study of married couples in rural Nigeria reveals a surprising answer: cash transfers increase women's desire for decision-making power, but this desire remains hidden.