Still a raw deal for many

Still a raw deal for many

Context

World Social Protection Report 2017-19

Report is released by: International Labour Organization

Major findings of the report

• No security: A vast majority of people (4 billion) live without any safeguard against the normal contingencies of life, according to the study
• Access to only on social protection benefit: Less than half (45.2%) have guaranteed access to only one social protection benefit in the face of a whole gamut of risks such as ill health, unemployment, occupational injuries, disability, and old age
• Universal health, a mere slogan: More than half the population in rural areas are not covered by universal health programmes, as compared to less than a quarter in urban locations. The goal of comprehensive coverage evidently remains a mere slogan in several parts of the world
• Pension amount not enough: The expansion of old-age pensions to include 68% of people in the retirement age is a move in the right direction. However, the levels of support are not adequate enough even to lift people out of poverty. A trend away from the privatisation of pension protection in Poland, Argentina, Hungary, among others, is perhaps a moment for other countries to rethink

How much of the population enjoys comprehensive social protection?

• About 29% of the population enjoy comprehensive social protection
• Meagre increase: There has been a 2% increase in coverage in the last two years — a sign that the commitment is woefully inadequate given the magnitude of the challenge
  • Reason: fiscal austerity measures
  • Solution: While the Targets under the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals lay out the framework for concerted efforts in this respect, the report itself puts forward two solutions for this problem,
    • Economic stimulus
    • Productivity-enhancing growth

Why the target of eliminating child labor by 2025 seems to be elusive?

The latest report sheds some light on why the abovementioned task seems almost elusive

• Nearly two-thirds of children are not covered by any form of social protection, meaning that their education is unlikely to rank as a priority among households
• Furthermore, 41% of mothers of newborns receive no maternity benefits. Only 27.8% of persons with severe disabilities worldwide receive appropriate support. This precludes effective interventions to alleviate the impact of different impairments on daily living.