Summary (English)

One of the main findings that emerged from the discussions promoted by ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) in recent years is that economic and social development are closely intertwined and must be actively integrated in a public policy focused on achieving more equality. Despite the good results in recent years in what reducing poverty and economic growth are concerned, Latin America is still the most unequal region in the world. This places challenges in terms of income, but also in terms of gender, ethnicity and territory. Precisely in excluded groups, among others, due to these factors, employment is usually precarious and does not represent a means towards social mobility and well-being. Furthermore, labour conditions of large sectors of the population are very far away from decent work standards and constitute no guarantee for accessing social protection mechanisms. This book examines the above issues in detail and identifies the scope and role of social protection in extremely unequal societies subject to a high incidence of persistent poverty.