Summary (English)

Why social protection?

Social protection is an important policy tool to tackle social exclusion, inequality and poverty. It encompasses both social insurance and social assistance. The latter can be delivered in the form of income maintenance and/or in-kind transfers as well as social services. Social protection programmes significantly contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

There is a growing interest on how social protection and cash transfer programmes (CTs) impact poverty, inequality and social inclusion. The surge of CTs in Latin America, such as Oportunidades in Mexico and Bolsa Familia in Brazil triggered debates on their potential as well as limits. It has been shown that CTs encourage greater use of public services, such as education and health, and provide vitally needed income to poor households.

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