IFPRI (18.12.2024) Egypt’s experience is a case in point. The country’s Takaful cash transfer program has been a vital source of support for millions, but fiscal space is too limited for cash transfers to serve as a solution to poverty (Breisinger, et al. 2023). The hope is that graduating current cash transfer beneficiaries will free up public resources to reach other impoverished households.

African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (Dec 2024) This brief, Advancing Digital Social Protection in Africa through Inclusion and Data Protection, explores strategies to develop inclusive and secure digital social protection (DSP) systems across Africa. DSP systems, which leverage digital tools to deliver social services, present transformative opportunities to address the needs of marginalized populations, including women, informal workers, youth, and migrants.

The evolving nature of work is prompting a global shift towards more adaptable and flexible employment practices. However, NSEs face obstacles due to their unique nature of fluctuating income, instability, and administrative barriers that complicate their inclusion in labor and social protection systems.

jdsupra.com (25.11.2024) Pension systems, designed when populations were younger and life expectancy shorter, are now under immense pressure. To mitigate the impact of an ageing population, governments around the world are starting to implement a raft of measures. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, nations are amending pension laws and updating regulations to adapt to the changing demographics. Let’s delve into the details together to examine how countries are reacting to demographic shifts across countires.

CEPR (29.11.2024) Rapid population ageing is increasing the pressure on public finances to provide adequate support for long-term care recipients. This column compares the impact of diverse social protection measures across 32 OECD and EU countries on poverty rates and out-of-pocket expenses among older adults with care needs. The analysis reveals substantial room for improvement and reforms, with existing systems often unaffordable and badly targeted.

worldbank.org (14.11.2024) The Amen Program is a social assistance initiative in Tunisia that targets the country's most vulnerable citizens with cash transfers, medical services, and economic empowerment opportunities. As of December 2023, the program reached over 333,000 poor households (more than 10% of the population) with monthly cash transfers and more than 620,000 low-income households with free and subsidized healthcare services. Three Tunisians share their positive experience with AMEN, where 54% of cash transfer beneficiaries are women-headed households and more than 156,000 children

Benefits Canada.com (15.11.2024) Earlier this year, Mexico’s senate approved the creation of a new pension fund to help provide more retirement security for low-income citizens. “Congress approved this change to the pension system, which basically established a new welfare pension fund,” says Pedro Trejo, retirement director at WTW Mexico. “The fund was created to help employees with their retirement savings and the general population that’s involved in the social security system will get the benefit. That means more than 80 per cent of the population in Mexico could benefit from this reform.”

Global Social Policy (Nov 2024) The human cost of climate change is stark, with increased poverty and displacement and severe risks to health and livelihoods all predicted. Climate change reproduces existing inequalities, with vulnerability to its effects driven by poverty, inequality and social status (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2022). These factors increase the vulnerability of the poor and subject those in developing countries to greater socio-economic and environmental risks.

taiwannews (10.11.2024) As Taiwan soon becomes a “super-aged” society, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun said the Long-term Care Plan 3.0 will be launched in 2025 to provide more assistance to elderly people and caregivers.

World Economic Forum(23.10.2024) While digital technologies aim to enhance the efficiency of social protection systems for marginalized groups, their implementation often leads to exclusions and a disconnect between citizens and local governance. To address challenges, especially given the need for social protection for climate resilience of the poor, there is a pressing need for community-based digital solutions that empower citizens. Effective social protection requires robust informational infrastructure that informs citizens about their rights, available support and how to hold local autho