Public works and employment programmes have long been considered a staple of social assistance. For the most part, though, they have been designed as short-term "safety nets". While, in some cases, the focus has also been on reducing poverty or addressing structural unemployment challenges,...

In recent years, a large number of studies have investigated the relationship between social security benefits and male retirement decisions in developed countries. However, women's and couples' labour supply decisions and the patterns of withdrawal from the labour force in emerging economies...

The objective of this paper is to analyse how knowledge-sharing activities between Brazil and several sub-Saharan African countries, in the fields of social protection and food and nutrition security policies and programmes, have directly and/or indirectly influenced African policies and...

This paper analyses the effectiveness of public works programmes (PWPs) in creating employment, reducing poverty and reinforcing the existing social protection system in Namibia. Using data and information from a survey conducted in northern Namibia, it is established that while public works...

This Working Paper presents an analysis into the adequacy of Pakistan’s social protection response to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights pertinent policy takeaways for turning the health crisis into an opportunity for a strengthened social protection system in Pakistan. It focuses on Ehsaas...

Agricultural workers are exposed to many risks during their life cycle and are particularly vulnerable to covariate risks, such as droughts, armed conflict and pandemics. Despite the great potential of social protection policies to protect this segment of the population, agricultural workers are...

This paper focuses on the rationale for state-based market interventions to support smallholder production along with some case studies that follow the evolution and impact of what we call 'institutional demand' policies. Institutional demand is an intervention that aims to improve regional...

What are the possible impacts of social protection benefits on economic growth? Although the main objective of these benefits is to protect people from poverty, shocks and social risks - and not promote economic growth - this question pervades both the theoretical and the empirical literature on...