1. TRANSFORMATIVE SOCIAL PROTECTION and RIGHTS FOR CHILDEN IDS Sussex TRANSFORMATIVE SOCIAL PROTECTION and RIGHTS FOR CHILDEN Rachel Sabates–Wheeler IDS Sussex

2. Critique of Mainstream Approach rooted in a safety nets approach – it focuses on economic shocks rather than social vulnerability. reflects a limited conceptualisation of vulnerability; concerns itself mainly with public (state, donor or NGO) and market–based social protection strategies; In practice, SRM encourages only a limited role for government in social protection provision; analysis and policies do not recognise power and rights

3. A new definition of social protection Social protection describes all initiatives, both public and private, that: 1) provide income or consumption transfers to the poor; 2) protect the vulnerable against livelihood risks; and 3) enhance the social status and rights of the excluded and marginalised.

4. Multiple functions of social protection Protection ~ social assistance (food aid); social services (orphanages) Prevention ~ social insurance (pensions, unemployment benefits) Promotion ~ livelihood enhancing transfers (microfinance) Transformation ~ social empowerment (anti-stigma campaigns)

5. Protective Social assistance and coping strategies Preventive Insurance and diversification mechanisms Promotive Economic opportunities Transformative Transformative action Springboards Safety nets A Conceptual Framework for Social Protection

6. Overlapping functions of social protection interventions School feeding School feeding is … protective (transfers food to hungry children), and promotive (encourages investment in education); Transformative (targeted to poor and vulnerable) Anti-discrimination campaigns Anti-discrimination campaigns are both … transformative (addresses social risk, social exclusion, discrimination and violation of rights), and promotive (has economic/growth spin-offs)

7. Who needs social protection? Economically at risk ( coffee farmers, IDPs) Chronically poor ( PWD, PLWA, elderly) Socially vulnerable ( PWD, PLWA, street kids, minority tribes & castes). What protection do they need? Social assistance (food aid, social pension) Social insurance (unemployment benefit) Social services (orphanages) Transformative action (regulation, sensitisation)

8. Social protection instruments for social transformation Legislation on economic, social and cultural rights; Anti–corruption measures; Sensitisation / anti–discrimination campaigns (HIV/AIDS Anti–stigma campaign in Uganda); Minimum wage legislation; Workers rights (e.g. maternity leave); Psycho–social counselling (for trauma); Conflict resolution.

9. Conclusion: Why do we need transformative social protection? Transformative social protection is affordable: not just cash transfers to vulnerable groups (22 million Ugandans, 150,000 tax-payers); Transformative social protection is sustainable: addresses underlying causes, not just triggers; Transformative social protection tackles social exclusion as well as economic vulnerability; Safety nets can create dependency: but social protection promotes empowerment and rights.

10. Transformative Social Protection IDS Working Paper 232 www.ids.ac.uk/ids/bookshop/wp/wp232