Social Protection

Building social protection floors
and comprehensive social security systems

Result achieved

A new or revised policy or strategy to extend coverage, enhance comprehensiveness and/or increase adequacy of benefits has been adopted (Step 1)

Number of countries that have adopted new or revised policies and strategies to extend coverage, enhance comprehensiveness and/or increase adequacy of benefits (Step 1)
31.07.2020 SWZ151 Public 2020-21 | 8.1.1

Outcome summary

The National Social Security Policy was adopted

Outcome achieved

The National Tripartite Labour Advisory Board endorsed a draft National Social Security Policy (NSSP) and its accompanying Action Plan in July 2020. The NSSP refers to principles embedded in C102 and R202. Further to this endorsement, the National Social Security Policy and its accompanying National Social Security Policy Action Plan were adopted by Cabinet in November 2021. NSSP seeks to establish over time, a comprehensive and inclusive social security framework in the Kingdom of Eswatini with a view to expand coverage, introduce additional social security benefit (maternity, employment injury, unemployment and health), and improve survivors and disability benefits and the conversion of provident into a pension scheme. The Implementation Action Plan and Strategy of the NSSP outlines milestones for adoption of policy and legal frameworks, governance and institutional arrangements and the rollout of benefits, including unemployment. The NSSP includes clear linkages to complementary policy documents including the Social Assistance Policy, National Health Insurance Scheme Policy, the Employment Act, and The Kingdom of Eswatini Strategic Road map (2019-2023).

ILO's contribution to the outcome

Building on the support provided towards the development of a draft National Social Security Policy in the previous biennium, the ILO has collaborated with the UNDP since May 2021 to September 2021 to make further inputs into the draft National Social Security Policy (NSSP). With contributions from RBSA, the ILO has bolstered the capacity of Government and the social partners in the current biennium, to enable them to implement the Policy by setting up a Project Management Unit in Eswatini that provides constant capacity and coordination support. ILO support in the current biennium has focused on strengthening the capacity of Government social security practitioners and the Social Partners to effectively operationalize the Policy. To this end, in April 2021 and June 2021 the ILO with contributions from RBSA collaborated with the ITC-ILO to facilitate training for the Social Partners, Government ministries, Labour Administration Board, and the Technical Working Group on Social Security in a diverse range of topics (extension of social protection, leadership in social protection, governance of social protection, public finance, investment of social security funds, actuarial practice in social security and unemployment protection). Government (public servants) trained included senior government policy makers and social security practitioners drawn from the Ministries of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Commerce Industry and Trade, the Public Policy Coordinating Unit and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The gender disaggregation of participants in the trainings provided was 11 men and 16 women. From March to August 2021, the ILO also collaborated with the UNDP in contributing technical inputs on complementary policy documents, including the Social Assistance Policy.

Gender equality & non-discrimination

The actuarial valuation gave particular consideration to the employment situation of women in modelling the UBS. In some countries, women are less likely to be legally covered, due to their greater representation in part-time, temporary or informal employment. In Eswatini, the total number of employed persons is not so different for men and women, while the unemployment rate is slightly higher for women. The National Social Security Policy is underpinned by the principle of non-discrimination and equality of treatment in respect to gender. Hence, the Actuarial Work has been extended to include Maternity protection on social insurance principles which will seek to address some labour challenges women face.

Partnerships

The ILO team has provided technical support and advisory services towards ensuring that the Joint Work Plan of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Eswatini 2021-2025 integrates an output on strengthening institutions and capacities for delivery of an effective and a responsive Social Protection system in Eswatini. Participating Agencies, for the implementation of the Joint Work Plan include UNDP, World Food Programme (WFP) United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations ...

SDG

SDG SDG SDG
Goals
  • End poverty in all its forms everywhere
  • Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Reduce inequality within and among countries
Targets
  • 1.3 Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
  • 8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
  • 10.4 Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality
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