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Weekly Social Protection Links: 20 January 2023

Ugo Gentilini's picture
Submitted by Ugo Gentilini
on Fri, 20/01/2023 - 00:00
The figure presents the findings. For BLT 2005 (Panel A), shows no evidence of an impact on employment. As for BLT 2008/BLSM2013 (Panel B), there is a negative jump in the effects of UCT on employment and job formality in the first post-baseline year.
The effects of cash transfers on labor market incentives are seldom examined over time. A new paper does precisely that: as part of energy subsidy reforms, Pritadrajati evaluates Indonesia’s three rounds of large unconditional cash transfers (BLT/BLSM) in 2005, 2008 and 2013 . These payments reached between 15.5 and 19 million households, with benefits for about 15% of recipients’ consumption/expenditures. The paper found that in 2005, there was no evidence of BLT impacts on employment while recipients were more likely to hold a formal job after the program (an increase of 8% from the mean). However, in 2008 and 2013 the likelihood of beneficiaries being employed and having a formal occupation decreased by 2 and 8%, respectively. These effects were temporary, and rates...Read more

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Weekly Social Protection Links: 13 January 2023

Ugo Gentilini's picture
Submitted by Ugo Gentilini
on Fri, 13/01/2023 - 00:00
The image brings two graphs. The one in the left shows the mechanism linking Bolsa Família with oral cancer mortality rate. The one in the right shows the trend of Bolsa Familia coverage of oral cancer mortality rate by federative unit
In Brazil, Costa et al show that where the Bolsa Familia program had significantly reach, it was associated with lower oral cancer mortality . How so? A key factor was the way in which the program facilitates access to early diagnosis and treatment – activities that, by design, fall under the wider remit of co-responsibilities to be fulfilled. The study also provides a precious summary connecting to other important health related studies of Bolsa, among other its effects on cervical cancer and oral health care. Double bonus on Brazil: Jones examines the youth’s schooling trajectories and transitions to social adulthood in the context of Bolsa, while Torres et al report that the program increased children’s consumption of macronutrients...Read more

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2022 Social Protection Highlights

Isabela Nunes Franciscon's picture
Submitted by Isabela Nunes Franciscon
on Wed, 11/01/2023 - 18:14
image shows 2022 written in a foggy window.
Written by Isabela Franciscon and Tomás Borges, socialprotection.org. In 2022, after two years of COVID-19-dominated headlines, record inflation rates and climate change-related events took centre stage in the global debate. It comes as no surprise that social protection was often called on to respond to these multifaceted crises. Following this new context, countries have the opportunity to institutionalize new social protection responses while also facing the need to connect social protection to other policy areas. What were the trending social protection themes of 2022? This post provides some insights, linking selected posts and resources available at socialprotection.org. 2022 socialprotection.org links: Podcasts: Social Protection Podcast: Ep...Read more

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Zakat in the Social Protection Response to COVID-19

Maya Hammad's picture
Submitted by Maya Hammad
on Mon, 09/01/2023 - 16:57
Man selling fruits.
Written by Maya Hammad, former International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) What is Zakat and how is it institutionalised in social protection systems? Zakat is the third of the five main pillars of Islam and constitutes an obligatory donation that Muslims must make. In Arabic, Zakat comes from the word meaning ‘to purify’ as it is a mechanism to ‘purify’ the wealth of the rich and redistribute it to achieve social justice. Only Muslims whose wealth has reached above a certain point known as the Nisab are required to pay Zakat. Nisab is equivalent to the price of 85 grams of gold and a person becomes liable to pay Zakat if this amount is in their possession for a full year and after all personal...Read more

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The big SP e-Vent: You spoke up, we listened - but what should we do next?

Carolina Magosso's picture
Submitted by Carolina Magosso
on Wed, 04/01/2023 - 14:38
Written by Carolina Magosso, Paula Osakabe and Roberta Brito | socialprotection.org This blog summarises the central messages put forward by the panellists of "The big SP-event: You spoke up, we listened - but what should we do next?", held on 16 November 2021 and organised by the socialprotection.org team, together with SPACE and NORCAP . “The big SP e-vent” brought together key stakeholders from governments, UN agencies, donors, NGOs and INGOs, from SP and humanitarian sectors, to collectively reflect on some challenges raised anonymously by the social protection community through an online forum previous to the event. The most commented challenges were compiled, and the community was invited to select the top-five topics to be presented and discussed during the event. The...Read more

Shock-Responsive Social Protection in Mozambique

Marina Andrade's picture
Submitted by Marina Andrade
on Wed, 28/12/2022 - 12:02
Written by Marina Andrade, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) Mozambique is one of the countries with the highest exposure to natural hazards such as cyclones, floods, and cyclical droughts. The occurrence of these extreme events has become increasingly frequent due to climate change. At the same time, the country has one of the highest poverty levels in the world, with most people living below the international poverty line of USD1.90/day, and one of the lowest human development levels, ranking 181st out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index. Armed conflict and violence in the northern provinces of the country aggravate the fragile situation of families, who often flee their homes to safeguard their personal safety but who...Read more

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Adaptative Social Protection and Urban Resilience: Developments in cities of Mozambique and Madagascar

Marina Andrade's picture
Submitted by Marina Andrade
on Mon, 19/12/2022 - 13:55
Child boy wearing an old purble cap and blue with red t-shirt holding a paddle and smilling
The webinar " Adaptive social protection and urban resilience: Developments in cities of Mozambique and Madagascar " organized by IPC-IG, WFP Mozambique Country Office and WFP Regional Bureau Johannesburg, and hosted by socialprotection.org on 3rd November, 2022, was framed within the context of an ongoing project funded by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), “Fostering resilience through preparedness of people in urban areas”. The Project is currently working with national and local governments, the municipalities, to redefine urban vulnerability and define criteria for humanitarian response and through adaptation of the current mainstream SP schemes. The Webinar counted on the participation of four panellists: Mr. Abdulremana...Read more

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Weekly Social Protection Links: 16 December 2022

Ugo Gentilini's picture
Submitted by Ugo Gentilini
on Fri, 16/12/2022 - 00:00
The figure shows average economic outcomes for a treated and a control group in several aspects considering a guarantee jod program applied in Austria
What about guaranteeing a basic job instead of guaranteeing a minimum income? This is a recurrent and much-debated question in social protection, which is now informed by new evidence from Austria. Since 2020, the town of Marienthal is offering a universal guarantee public or private job to every resident unemployed for more than 12 months . Jobs are paid at least the minimum wage (making income higher than under social assistance/insurance payments), with participation voluntary/free of sanctions and duration until 2024. Jobs were generated in carpentry, renovation, public gardening, and elderly care – and some projects were created by participants themselves (e.g., supporting communal public services like local schools and kindergartens). An evaluation of the program...Read more

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Could digital cash transfers help tackle gender-based violence?

Alessandra Heinemann's picture
Submitted by Alessandra Heinemann
on Thu, 08/12/2022 - 16:44
A growing body of evidence finds that cash transfers reduce violence against women and children.
This blog was written by Alessandra Heinemann and Palak Rawal and originally posted by the World Bank Group here . Getting a cash transfer program off the ground includes a myriad of decisions. Whether to pay benefits digitally or manually is an important decision that has gotten much attention lately. Increasingly, the evidence suggests that digital payments are the way to go . Digital payments are more efficient and user-friendly. But what many of us probably didn’t know is that this design choice – like many others – likely also has implications for gender-based violence (GBV) within households . Paying cash transfers digitally directly into women’s accounts can allow them to retain greater control over the funds and conceal them from violent...Read more

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Social protection for climate adaptation among small-scale producers

Gala Dahlet's picture
Submitted by Gala Dahlet
on Wed, 07/12/2022 - 18:39
Image shows woman harvesting food.
Written by Gala Dahlet, Marco Knowles and Garima Bhalla, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) The climate has changed and is continuing to change. Small-scale farmers in developing countries are among those that least contribute to climate change, yet they are among those that are most negatively impacted by it. Enabling them to adapt to the changing climate is urgent and fundamental for poverty reduction. However, only a minimal part of climate financing is being channeled to them. Expanding access to social protection in rural areas is an important part of the solution. Too little is being done for small-scale farmers We are witnessing the negative impacts of climate change on people’s lives and our ability to feed and nourish ourselves. Over the last 50...Read more

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