Social protection

About this guide

Social protection is a growing area of research and policy.  Traditionally, social protection literature focused on safety nets: mechanisms that aim to protect people from the impact of shocks such as flood, drought, unemployment or the death of a breadwinner.  Safety nets were often regarded as expensive, welfarist interventions that created dependency on the state.

Definitions of social protection are now broader and include longer-term mechanisms designed to combat chronic poverty, as well as short-term interventions to reduce the impact of shocks.  Recent research emphasises that social protection schemes are an investment in the future as they have the potential to promote growth and improve long-term poverty-reduction.

Where is a good place to start?

Department for International Development, 2006, ‘Social Protection in Poor Countries’, Social Protection Briefing Note Series no. 1, DFID, London
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Norton, A., Conway, T and Foster, M., 2000, ‘Social Protection Concepts and Approaches: Implications for Policy and Practice in International Development’, Working paper 143, CAPE, Overseas Development Institute, London
How can international agencies contribute to improving the coverage and effectiveness of social protection as a component of poverty reduction strategies? This paper from the Overseas Development Institute reviews conceptual developments of the meaning and importance of social protection and looks at experience of different policy instruments. Improving co-ordination of social policy is a major priority, as is tackling growing insecurity and inequality and taking account of institutions outside the state that provide social protection.
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Additional information resources

In 2005, the Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM), University of Manchester, held a conference on ‘Social Protection for Chronic Poverty’.  Conference papers and proceedings can be downloaded from their website.

This topic guide was prepared by Zoë Scott.  The GSDRC appreciates the contributions of Stephen Devereux, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), and Stephen Kidd, UK Department for International Development (DFID).  Comments, questions or documents for consideration should be sent to Zoë@gsdrc.org 

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