Social protection goes well beyond cash transfers; it includes policies and programs that bridge skill, financial, and information gaps, aiding people in securing better jobs. The three pillars of social protection—social assistance, social insurance, and labor market programs—support households and workers in handling crises, escaping poverty, facing transitions, and seizing employment opportunities. But despite a substantial expansion over the past decade, 2 billion people remain uncovered or inadequately covered across low- and middle-income countries.

worldbank.org (09.04.2025) The paper examines the social protection response to the COVID-19 pandemic across 76 emerging and developing economies (EDEs) to identify lessons on how to make these systems more resilient against risks, shocks, and crises at the individual, household, or national level. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered significant expansions in social protection systems across EDEs, with responses varying based on countries’ existing infrastructure and income levels.

HelpAge International (22.03.2025) A practical guide to developing and using country profiles on the rights and wellbeing of older persons in the Arab region, based on HelpAge and UNFPA’s experience across 18 countries.

Social services play a crucial role in supporting individuals and communities across Europe, but ensuring consistent quality standards remains a challenge.

finance.yahoo.com (24.03.2025) The long-term care robot portal site management office released the English version of the Long-term Care Tech Portal (https://robotcare.jp/en/home/index?type=pw), a portal site providing information on state-of-the-art care and age tech in Japan. The portal site provides a wide range of information on long-term care technology with the aim of promoting its development and utilization in nursing care sites. The office has launched an English site for overseas visitors in order to introduce Japan's latest technologies.

eurohealthobservatory.who.int (03.04.2025) Long-term care often falls by the wayside in national policy dialogues. In some countries cultural norms compel families to look after older people at home. Some pundits may look at rising health care costs and argue that the public sector cannot shoulder more care responsibilities by expanding access to long-term care. Public long-term care systems are best placed to meet the needs of the present and the future than families.

eurofound.europa.eu (25.03.2025) The scale of undeclared care work (paid care work that is lawful but not declared to public authorities) in the EU is considerable. Recent estimates suggest that 6.8 million undeclared workers provide care or household services across the EU, with 2.1 million specifically in the care sector. Undeclared care workers are predominantly women and often are migrants.

worldbank.org (01.03.2025) This policy note consolidates the highlights of a study funded by the Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Program (SASPP), exploring the role and operationalization of dynamic social registries in low-income and shock-prone contexts, including in the Sahel.

worldbank.org (24.03.2025) The World Bank estimates that closing the gender gap in employment would increase long-run gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by 20 percent (Pennings 2022). Realizing this achievement, however, depends not only on removing gender barriers to employment but also and most emphatically on improving the quality of women’s employment. Women’s labor force participation has been stagnant since 1990, at around 53 percent for women compared to 80 percent for men, with the largest gaps in lower-middle-income countries (World Bank 2023).

worldbank.org (07.03.2025) Designing family-friendly policies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) requires being cognizant of the diverse labor markets, administrative challenges, fiscal constraints, and prevailing social norms. A World Bank study in Nepal evaluated parental leave and related benefits to identify implementation gaps and opportunities to expand coverage to parents, especially those in the informal sector.