SOCIAL PROTECTION: Developing a Knowledge Base Stephen Devereux Centre for Social Protection Institute of Development Studies (IDS) UNICEF Social Protection Training Course IDS, Brighton ~ 13 July 2009

Session Outline 1.Origins: “Where did social protection come from?” 1.Social policy 2.Safety nets 3.Food aid 4.Social welfare 2.Future Challenges: “Where is social protection going?” 3.Definitions: “What is ‘social protection’ anyway?”

Social policy refers to the entire range of public policies and instruments that relates to conditions of human wellbeing, including health, education, housing, water and sanitation, child protection, social protection, youth development, employment (or livelihoods), social integration, crime and justice, as well as the overall legal framework guiding activities throughout the economy (e.g. labor laws, property rights for women, survivor rights). UNICEF (ESARO) Social Protection is part of... Social Policy

Transfers made to citizens affected by major shocks: structural adjustment in 1980s (Latin America, Africa); financial crises in 1990s (Southeast Asia). Safety nets protect vulnerable people against economic shocks. Social protection does this too – but it also does much more: (1) Social protection can promote economic growth and sustainable poverty reduction. (2) Social protection protects against “social vulnerability” (e.g. discrimination), not just “economic vulnerability”. Social Protection is more than... Safety Nets

1. Emergency food aid 2. Food–for–work 3. School feeding 4. Supplementary feeding 5. Therapeutic feeding Social Protection is more than... Food Aid

LivelihoodProtection LivelihoodPromotion “Development” “Safety nets” Social welfare Economic growth Social Protection is more than... Social Welfare

Protection Prevention Promotion Springboards Safety nets Social Protection is for Welfare and Growth

1. Social justice: Rights–based campaigns led by civil society mobilisation (e.g. TAC South Africa, “right to food” in India) 2. Social insurance: From ad hoc “social assistance” to guaranteed “social insurance” against livelihood shocks. 3. Institutionalisation: From donor–driven pilot projects to scaled–up, government–owned, citizen–driven programmes 4. New vulnerabilities: How can social protection respond to emerging challenges – high food prices, climate change? Future Challenges: Where is Social Protection going?

Defining Social Protection (1) Social protection describes all initiatives that: 1) provide income transfers (cash) or consumption transfers (food) to the poor; 2) protect the vulnerable against livelihood risks; 3) enhance the social status and rights of people who are socially excluded and marginalised. Institute of Development Studies (IDS) Institute of Development Studies (IDS)

Defining Social Protection (2) Social Protection refers to the public actions taken in response to levels of vulnerability, risk and deprivation which are deemed socially unacceptable within a given polity or society. Overseas Development Institute (ODI)

Defining Social Protection (3) Social Protection is a collection of measures to improve or protect human capital, ranging from labour market interventions, publicly mandated unemployment or old–age insurance to targeted income support. Social protection interventions assist individuals, households and communities to better manage the income risks that leave people vulnerable. World Bank

Defining Social Protection (4) Social Protection is the provision of benefits to households and individuals through public or collective arrangements to protect against low or declining living standards. International Labour Office (ILO)

Defining Social Protection (5) Social Protection is the set of policies and programmes designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labour markets, diminishing people’s exposure to risks, and enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption or loss of income. Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Defining Social Protection (6) Social Protection constitutes policies and actions that protect and promote the livelihoods and welfare of poor and vulnerable people. Malawi National Social Protection Technical Committee

Defining Social Protection (7) Social protection is a set of transfers and services that help individuals and households confront risk and adversity (including emergencies) and ensure a minimum standard of dignity and well–being throughout the life–cycle. UNICEF

Defining Social Protection (8) Social protection refers to the set of actions and policies that are specifically directed at helping households reduce the incidence of risk and the impact of shocks, and that especially aim to protect the rights of the most at–risk, vulnerable or chronically poor. Child protection involves a range of activities that prevent and respond to violence, exploitation and abuse. Child protection helps children to achieve their basic rights to care, protection and justice. UNICEF (ESARO)

Defining Social Protection (8) UNICEF (ESARO) UNICEF (ESARO)

Exercise: Defining Social Protection 1.Looking at the list of 8 definitions of social protection, identify 3 elements that are common to most definitions. 2.Building on these definitions, develop your own definition of “child–sensitive social protection”.