Pro-Poor or Anti-Poor?
Stephen Kidd considers the growing role of the World Bank and IMF in shaping national social protection policies as questions are being asked about their approach to the issue.
Role of IMF-backed elimination of universal social protection in protests
Widespread protests in Iran have followed continued decline in real incomes in the country. Like the ITUC, several media have identified declining living standards and plans that would further worsen these as the root cause of the protests. For example, a New York Times article stated: “The initial catalyst for the anger...
Training course sets out how to make the case for an inclusive social protection system
How to make the case for an inclusive social protection system in Uganda? What are some of the main considerations, from the political to the financial requirements, to the human...
Social protection training course in Uganda receives positive feedback from participants
This month, Development Pathways provided a training course to support the implementation of the National Social Protection Policy in Uganda, receiving excellent feedback from participants. The training was implemented within...
The political economy of social protection
The Academy on Social Security is organised by the International Training Centre of the ILO. It runs this year from 16 – 27 September. Stephen Kidd, Senior Social Policy Specialist...
A progressive moment: Social protection’s rationale identified as citizenship, not charity at IMF/LSE event
Matthew Greenslade The London School of Economics is where the welfare state was invented. Social protection is now needed more than ever, everywhere, to address rising challenges of high inequality and political upheaval. A new social contract is needed, in all countries. Higher income countries have designed their welfare states,...
Poverty-targeting, politics and a pension delivered – our year of resources reviewed
Our blog highlighting the extent of the IMF’s involvement in the decisions of sovereign nations topped the list of our most accessed resources in 2018. The list, which included materials on the politics of social protection schemes, implementing disability-inclusive social protection, and harnessing technology in programme registration, is revealed today...
SIDA’s event highlights lessons for progressive realisation of universal social protection to decrease inequality
In an event titled “Expanding social protection to decrease inequality,” Carin Jämtin, Director General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), emphasised that “COVID-19 presents an opportunity for universal...
Training on the political economy of targeting social security programmes
The politics of social protection do not enjoy as much of the focus of donors and UN agencies as the economics. But an understanding of the distribution of power between...