Child sensitivity of social protection in Cambodia

The COVID-19 crisis has been a catalyst for social protection reform in Cambodia. In response to the crisis, the Government of Cambodia has implemented a national emergency household benefit for poor and vulnerable families, alongside significant reforms – including expansion of coverage – of the social assistance and social security schemes. Despite efforts to strengthen social protection in Cambodia, sustainable coverage of families remains a challenge.

The two components – social assistance and social security – cover different population groups, and so it’s all too easy for many families, who neither access poverty-targeted support nor contributory social protection, to slip through the gap. In the context of significant reforms, Development Pathways undertook an assessment of the social protection system in Cambodia to identify entry points to strengthen its child-sensitivity. This policy brief presents headline findings and recommendations based on a desk-based review of documentation and interviews with key stakeholders during June and July 2021.