Pacific Island countries (PICs) have varying social protection systems, informal and traditional. These systems are important in supporting the most vulnerable members of society and those affected by personal and natural disasters. In the Pacific Islands social protection has typically been an area of low government involvement. Knowledge about formal social protection in the region is limited, and there have been no studies on the impact of such schemes on poverty, human development and economic growth.

This research paper—‘Social protection and gender: a life-cycle approach’—assesses how the development of social protection mechanisms can support improvements in gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Pacific.