Social Protection Podcast

Ep. 42 | Social Protection in Latin America: Stratification, Politics and Influences

In this episode, we delve into the world of social protection with one of its foremost experts, Professor Armando Barrientos, Emeritus Professor of Poverty and Social Justice at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester.

We discuss his groundbreaking new book, Social Protection in Latin America, and explore the argument that social protection systems or institutions are not just safety nets but also mechanisms of stratification. We also talked about what that means, why it matters, and how it shapes the lives of millions across the region.

Finally, we also examine the crucial role of politics in shaping social protection and debate whether Latin America should aspire to the European model of a welfare state. From the Latin American innovative approaches to their global influence and the future of social protection, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of social justice and public policy.

 

Episode resources:

• Book | Social Protection in Latin America. Causality, Stratification and Outcomes
• Task Force | Global Alliance against Poverty and Hunger
• Publication | The relationship between cash-based interventions and violence: A systematic review and evidence map

Ep. 41 | The Evolution of Universal Basic Income: From Pilots to Policy

Across the world, interest for universal social protection mechanisms has skyrocketed, in particular following the pandemic and its transversal effects on the poor, vulnerable and not so vulnerable populations. Social assistance mechanisms such as child benefits or elderly pensions have already had a history of encompassing the entire group with universal mechanisms in some countries; however, universal basic income (UBI) schemes are still in the stage of theoretical and policy discussion, without having been set up.

In this context, Brazil is an interesting case: in 2004, Brazil adopted a law that establishes a “Renda Básica de Cidadania” (Basic citizenship income). That effort was pushed by its rapporteur, Mr. Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy, who was a senator at the time and a vigorous UBI advocate to this day. In this podcast episode, we will talk about how the Basic citizenship income came to be, the possible advantages of adopting an UBI, the main challenges and what lessons have been learned with the recent discussions on the theme.

For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Jurgen de Wispelaere, discussing his recently launched publication at the International Social Security Review, a Specia Issue called ‘Emergency basic income: Distraction or opportunity’.

Meet our guests:

• Eduardo Suplicy, State Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo
• Jurgen De Wispelaere, IPR Policy Fellow, Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath

 

Episode Resources:

• Publication: Special Issue: Themed double issue: Emergency basic income: Distraction or opportunity

Ep. 40 | SDGs, Social Protection and Evidence Building

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global effort across a wide range of areas in which countries are working to achieve the targets set out by the international community. Social Protection can play a role in contributing to most of the SDGs. To ensure objectives are reached, building and using evidence as well as applying the necessary analytical tools are important to discuss.

In this episode we examine if investments in social protection could help accelerate progress towards the SDGs. We talk about the role of research, evaluation, and advocacy in driving change for policies and programmes towards achieving this ambitious agenda.

Meet our guests:

• Tayllor Spadafora, Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa regional office.
• Michala Assankpon, Regional Evaluation Officer at the WFP regional bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean.

For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Laurel Patterson, Director for the SDG Integration at UNDP.

 

Episode Resources:

• Publication | Regional Evaluation of WFP’S contribution to Shock-Responsive Social Protection in Latin America and the Caribbean (2015–2022)
• Publication | WFP Evaluation – Summary of Evidence. Social Protection.  
• Publication | Impact Evaluation Report External Evaluation of the Mchinji Social Cash Transfer Pilot
• Publication | Ghana LEAP 1000 Programme: Endline Evaluation Report
• Programme Profile| A Cash Plus Model for Safe Transitions to a Healthy and Productive Adulthood
• Website | SDG Push

Emerging Trends in the Indo-Pacific Series Ep. 3 | The Future of Climate Change and Social Protection Responses

Throughout the Indo-Pacific region, climate change is already threatening livelihoods and exacerbating poverty. Extreme weather events and rising sea levels are creating new vulnerable populations in unprecedented ways. To tackle climate change, countries will need to undergo major economic and social transformations, which could risk leaving even more people behind.

So, what do these changing risks mean for the way social protection is designed? And what kinds of radical rethinking might be necessary to build systems for the future? In this episode, our guests are grappling with these questions, working to reimagine social protection schemes to confront the realities of a changing climate.

This is the grand finale of a three-part series of the Social Protection Podcast titled "Emerging Trends for Social Protection in the Indo-Pacific," presented by socialprotection.org. We extend our gratitude to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for their invaluable support in shaping this series and facilitating connections with the most suitable guests for each episode.

 

Meet our guests:

• Sreng Sophornreaksmey, Director of the Policy Department at the General Secretariat for the National Social Protection Council for the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
• Palash Kanti Das, Director of the Ultra-poor Graduation Program for BRAC in Bangladesh.
• Anna McCord, Lead for the Climate Change and Social Protection Research Initiative at the Poverty and Inequality practice.

For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Inge Stockl, an independent social protection consultant working on a range of social protection assignments in the Asia Pacific region.

 

Episode Resources:

• Publication | Fiji Anticipatory Action
• Publication | On the Front Foot: Envisaging a model for anticipatory action in the Pacific.
• Publication | The Economics of Acting Early - Evidence of Climate and Disaster Actions in the Pacific
• Podcast | Emerging Trends in the Indo-Pacific Series Ep. 01 | The Evolution of SP in the Pacific

 

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As we produced this episode, numerous climate-change related disasters have occurred globally, including incidents in Brazil, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Tanzania, and France.

As you will hear from our guests' discussions in this episode, the impacts of climate change are increasingly evident, leading to more frequent and severe disasters.

In addition to the social protection and humanitarian action provided by different actors, such as governments, NGOs, and international organizations, if you wish to support those affected by these and other natural disasters, please refer to official channels for ways to help. You can also contribute to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund’s Climate Action, which pools contributions from across the globe into a single fund and allocates money to humanitarian partners on the front lines of emergency responses when climate-related disasters strike.

Emerging Trends in the Indo-Pacific Series Ep. 2 | Social Protection for Gig Workers in Southeast Asia

In Southeast Asia the gig economy is growing fast. Attracted by the promise of flexibility, independence, and low entry costs, gig workers offer their services on a task-by-task basis facilitated through a digital platform or app. The appeal of this model has attracted millions of workers in the region, however, unlike traditional employees, gig workers often lack access to essential social protection schemes, such as health insurance, old-age pension, and unemployment benefits.

In this episode, we examine the challenges presented by this new employment trend. Workers often face precarious working conditions which leave them vulnerable to shocks and unexpected events.  We discuss how governments, unions, and the platforms themselves can work to bridge social protection gaps and extend coverage to this growing group.

This is the second episode of a three-part series titled "Emerging trends for Social Protection in the Indo-Pacific", presented by socialprotection.org. We extend our gratitude to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for their invaluable support in shaping this series and facilitating connections with the most suitable guests for each episode.

 

Meet our guests:

• Brendan Chia, Head, Regional Public Affairs and Policy for Grab.
• Francis Kim Upgi, Director of Economic and Social policy for ITUC
• Yesim Elhan-Kayalar, Advisor, Office of the Chief Economist at ADB

 

For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Cyrus Afshar, Social protection Officer at WIEGO and host of WIEGO’s Informal Economy Podcast.

 

Episode Resources:

• Publication | Gig Economy Employment during the Pandemic: An Analysis of GrabFood Driver Experiences in the Philippines
• Publication | Social Protection as a Solar System
• Podcast | Informal Economy Podcast
• Publication | Challenges and strategies to increase social protection financing for workers in informal employment
• Webinar | Is social protection to blame for informality?
• Podcast episode | Challenging Global Social Protection Orthodoxies

Emerging Trends in the Indo-Pacific Series Ep. 1 | The Evolution of SP in the Pacific

This episode will explore the ways social protection has evolved in Pacific Island countries, starting with provident funds to the slow growth of lifecycle schemes for the elderly and people with disabilities. It will then look at how the COVID-19 crisis and the impacts of disasters and climate change have changed the way Pacific nations are thinking about social protection. 

This episode will ask, how do governments see the social protection landscape evolving in the future? Will countries continue to take a slow and gradual approach, focused on incremental growth of lifecycle schemes? Or has the growing interest from development partners and the growing pressures of climate change shifted priorities and approaches? 

This marks the inaugural episode of a three-part series focusing on emerging trends for Social Protection in the Indo-Pacific, presented by socialprotection.org. We extend our gratitude to the Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for their invaluable support in shaping this series and facilitating connections with the most suitable guests for each episode. 

 

Meet our guests:

• Veremo Muria, Director, Fiji’s Department of Social Welfare (MWCSP) 
• Shirin Gul, Technical Specialist for Social Protection, Kiribati's Ministry of Women, Youth, Sports and Social Affairs (MWYSSA) 
• Karishma Houda, Team Leader, Partnerships for Social Protection (P4SP) 
  
  

For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Lisa Hannigan, Senior Social Protection Specialist, Australian Government/Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Lisa discusses the significance of dignity in social protection, drawing from discussions and publications on the subject.  

 

Quick Wins 

• Publication | Crowding-out or crowding-in? Effects of LEAP 1000 unconditional cash transfer program on household and community support among women in rural Ghana

Ep. 36 | Gender-Transformative Social Protection

In today's episode, we delve into a pressing topic: the evolving landscape of social protection systems and their critical role in addressing the unique needs of women and girls throughout their lives.

There's a growing recognition of the importance of tailoring social programmes to meet these specific needs, but we're also becoming more aware of how these programmes may inadvertently perpetuate gender norms, assuming women's roles in work and caregiving.

Can social protection systems be a catalyst for change? Can they challenge the very structures and norms that perpetuate gender inequalities?

As we commemorate International Women's Day this month, join us as we explore the concept of gender-transformative social protection. We'll examine how these programmes and systems have the potential to drive transformative change, paving the way for a more equitable future.

 

Meet our guests:

• Tara Cookson, Canada Research Chair in Gender Development and Global Public Policy, University of British Columbia.
• Maja Gavrilovic, Social Protection Consultant.
• Lauren Whitehead, Social Protection and Gender Lead, UNICEF HQ.

For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Tia Palermo, president at Policy Research Solutions—PRESTO, and associate professor at the University of Buffalo. She shared insights and highlights from several recent papers in the field.

 

Resources

• Publication | Promoting Gender-Transformative Change through Social Protection:
  An analytical approach
• Publication | Social protection systems and gender: A review of the evidence
• Publication | Changing rural women’s lives through gender transformative social protection: A paper on gender transformative social protection concepts, evidence and practice in the context of food security and nutrition.

 Quick Wins

• Publication | Mapping gender and social protection data
• Publication | Leveraging social protection to support women’s and girls’ climate resilience in low- and middle-income countries
• Publication | Unconditional cash transfers and safe transitions to adulthood in Malawi

 

Ep. 35 | Exploring COP28: Supporting Just Transition through Social Protection

Among the decisions made at the last Conference of Parties (COP28), was the establishment of the new Loss and Damage Fund, designed to assist countries most vulnerable to climate change.  We talked to our guests about the structure of this new fund and the possibilities for countries to draw on such climate financing mechanisms to build and enhance their social protection systems.

In this episode, we delved into the role of social protection in supporting major transitions in energy, industry and food systems necessary to reduce carbon emissions and meet global targets, and how social protection systems can support a just transition for all.

Meet our guests:

• Gala Dahlet, Social Protection Officer, FAO.
• Jana Bischler, Technical Officer for Social Protection and Climate Change, ILO.
• Ann Vaughan, Senior Advisor for Climate Change in the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, USAID.

For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Hazel Calderon, the leader of fisheries and aquaculture social protection for FAO, who shared insights and highlights from the latest FAO event on social Protection for fisheries.

 

Resources

• Publication | The Relevance of Social Protection Systems for the Loss and Damage Fund and Funding Arrangements
• Livestream | Events at the just transition pavilion at COP28

 

Quick Wins

• Website | Social Protection for Fisheries and Aquaculture (SocPro4Fish)

Ep. 34 | Looking Back on Social Protection in 2023

Join us for our special End-of-Year episode, where we unravel the tapestry of 2023, exploring the critical discussions and ground-breaking studies that shaped the landscape of social protection.

From adaptive social protection initiatives to food security policies, we delve into the hot topics that ignited debates across the globe. Discover the key takeaways from eye-opening studies that explored climate adaptation, social protection impact, and migration. As we bid farewell to 2023, we invite you to reflect on the wins, challenges, and transformative moments that defined the year in social protection.

In the Quick Wins segment, our guest Roberta Brito will highlight the latest content from socialprotection.org's Digest. She will offer a sneak peek into an upcoming piece, providing a glimpse into emerging trends. 

Meet our guests:

• Rodolfo Beazley, Independent Consultant
• Roberta Brito, Researcher, socialprotection.org

Resources:

• Publication | Social Protection in the Developing World
• Compilation | Social Protection Digest #1

Ep. 33 | Shaping the G20 Agenda: Social Protection, Development and Global Priorities

In this episode, we’re talking about the G20 – an annual gathering of the world’s largest economies and a major global forum for discussing a wide range of economic issues. In recent years, that has included social protection, a set of policies used by many countries to stabilise economies in the face of successive crises.

Brazil takes over the G20 presidency from India on 1 December 2023. At this crucial moment of handover, we have invited researchers from both countries to talk about how G20 agendas are shaped, how social protection has featured, and their shared goal of expanding the voice of the Global South in this premier international forum.

Meet our guests:

• Jhanvi Tripathi, Associate Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, and Coordinator, Think20 India Secretariat.
• Fábio Veras Soares, Director of International Studies, Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea)

For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Carla Mejia, Regional Nutrition Advisor for WFP in Latin America and the Caribbean. We discuss the evidence and impact of social protection interventions on nutrition and food security in light of a recent joint study by WFP, IDS and IFPRI, which proposes an analytical and operational framework linking social protection and better nutrition outcomes.

 

Resources

• Publication | G20 Policy for Health Systems: Promoting Holistic Outcomes and Addressing Vulnerabilities in Healthcare
• Publication | Leveraging Knowledge Sharing for Social Protection
• Publication | Towards a Robust Social Protection System in the Post Pandemic Era
• Speech | President Lula during Session 2 - One Family of the G20 Summit

Quick Wins

• News | Social Protection Pathways to Nutrition