Child centred social protection: the relevance of gender Naila Kabeer

Analytical framework: gender and the structures of constraint Gender-specific norms, values and beliefs (norms and beliefs about masculinity and femininity) which give rise to: Socially ascribed asymmetries in the gender division of labour in production and reproduction (care economy) Socially ascribed inequalities in the distribution of valued resources and opportunities Imposed gender constraints (active discrimination, unconscious bias, ‘unruly practices’ ) in purportedly gender neutral domains

The context….. Globalisation of the economy The informalisation of work The feminisation of the labour force

Women (and children) as the flexible labour force par excellence…. Official statistics show steady rise in female labour force participation in almost every region of the world (ex. Eastern Europe and Central/Western Asia and MENA) Rise in most age groups, including married women and women with children. Greatest rise among women in child bearing age But women (and children) remain in the more casualised and poorly paid segments of labour market Higher levels of open unemployment

Boys make up 53% of child labour force Rationale for a gender-analytical approach to social protection for working children: gender asymmetries in outcomes 200 million children (5-14) working world wide, a fifth of children in relevant age group Boys make up 53% of child labour force Girls make up 57% of children out of school These asymmetries vary by region

Rationale for a gender-analytic approach to social protection for working children: gendered inter-dependencies Gendered interdependence within the household: health and wellbeing of mother and child; greater substitutability of labour of women and girls in domestic division of labour Women’s socially ascribed responsibility for child care makes them key actors in the implementation of social protection measures

Lessons from practice Child-related conditional and unconditional cash transfers School feeding programmes Subsidised child care

Discussion points Conditional or unconditional? Mobilising mothers: productive and reproductive roles Maximizing the ‘generative’ potential of social protection: reaping double dividends The policy context of social protection: the macro-economic framework