Social Protection: Opportunities for Promoting a Gender Equality Agenda

Recent social protection initiatives in developing countries offer a valuable policy space to address gender equality agenda. Various instruments to secure the income and livelihood of vulnerable families can promote women’s empowerment. Active participation as a producer, rather than passive receipt of public transfers as a consumer, in the initiatives can transform the gender dynamics in the society as well as in their family. In this paper, using a life-cycle framework, gender specific risks and vulnerabilities are identified, and assessment of current social protection policies—social pension, input subsidies, food security, education and health services, and employment guarantee programs—follow. The social protection policies bear the potentials to enhance women’s position through equal paid work and social care.