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Social Protection That Benefits Children: A Moral Imperative and Viable Strategy for Growth and Development.
Comprehensive social protection programmes are increasingly recognized as effective mechanisms to address poverty and inequality, and protect the most vulnerable families and children. Following the 2008 endorsement of the African union’s Social Policy framework for Africa, momentum has grown among African governments to invest in and implement social protection programmes. however, the scale and adequacy of these programmes does not match the widespread poverty, deprivation and vulnerability in the region.
Building on this momentum and commitment, the African Child Policy forum (ACPf) is seeking further opportunities to promote concrete measures that will contribute to expansion of comprehensive and effective government-led social protection programmes that benefit children.
The 6th International Policy Conference (IPC) has chosen the theme of Social Protection in Africa: Making it work for children. It builds on the social policy framework (SPf) commitments of the African union (Au) and the recommendations of the Au experts’ and ministers’ meetings held in April and may 2014, and intends to address gaps and residual concerns impeding the further expansion of social protection programmes.
The IPC brings together multiple stakeholders, including government representatives, international partners, civil society organizations (CSos), academics and the media. It invites them to reflect on specific analysis and experiences, and to agree a way forward for accelerating collective efforts. reflecting on earlier Au recommendations and focusing on specific areas considered relative priorities, ACPf aims to contribute new analysis in order to promote dialogue and a set of actions that will move social protection efforts in Africa to a higher level.
In this context, four specific sub-themes were identified and background research papers have been prepared on each of them. These four themes are:
This introductory brief aims to set the context for child-sensitive social protection in Africa, provide conceptual coherence, and articulate the rationale for the selection of the sub-themes for the background papers.
