ARCADES PROTEA HOTEL - 20TH AUGUST, 2014 - PRESENTATION ON SOCIAL PROTECTION IN ZAMBIA By: Simmy Chapula - Acting Permanent Secretary

PRESENTATION ON SOCIAL PROTECTION IN ZAMBIA
   By: Simmy Chapula – Acting Permanent Secretary
                                      (MCDMCH)

ARCADES PROTEA HOTEL – 20TH AUGUST, 2014

`   Introduction
`   Contextual Definition of Social Protection
`   Social Protection Strategy
`   Social Protection Frameworks on Risk and
    Vulnerability Assessment
`   Main vulnerable Groups
`   Why Social Protection?
`   Social Protection Pillars
`   National Institutional Set-up
`   Conclusion

`   In Zambia just like many other countries,
    protecting the poor, especially the vulnerable
    and the incapacitated is a major priority for
    any social protection interventions.
`   Social Protection is now a global recurring
    theme and it seeks to promote the socio-
    economic advancement of the poor.

`   In the Zambian context Social Protection
    refers to policies and practices that protect
    and promote the livelihood and welfare of the
    people suffering from critical levels of
    deprivation, and/ or vulnerability especially to
    risks and shocks.
`   This definition has been adopted, having
    considered a range of current definitions in
    use internationally.

`   Social protection is not an entirely new concept
    for Zambia. Zambia has a long tradition in
    maintaining a social welfare structure; the Public
    Welfare Assistance Scheme, and several
    approaches to social protection have been tried.
`   The social protection strategy, which has
    been cast into a Social Protection Chapter in the
    Revised Sixth National Development Plan for
    2011-2016, is an attempt to harmonize, prioritize
    and improve existing approaches as well as
    integrate new ones such as the social cash
    transfer scheme that form in particular a response
    to current crises such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
`   The country has a National Social Protection Policy

`   The Social Protection landscape in Zambia is
    guided by the risk and vulnerability
    assessment frameworks as outlined below:
    ◦ Poverty and vulnerability analysis (rural, urban and
      HIV/AIDS vulnerability and impact of PRSP)
    ◦ Assessment Study
    ◦ LCMS(1998 and 2002-2003)
    ◦ OVC Situational Analysis
    ◦ Incapacitated poor
    ◦ National Social Protection Policy
    ◦ National Household Survey (PWAS)

`   There are so many vulnerable groups in the
    country as well as other parts of the world.
`   Broaly classified, these include
    ¾Low capacity households- e.g. widows, the
     disabled, other marginalized, low-income
     households and informal sector operators;
    ¾Incapacitated households-those with no one fit to
     work; and
    ¾Child –headed households and Street Children.

                                                         7

`   Social protection is necessary for economic growth:
    One key reason that the poor do not participate in
    economic activities is that the cost of failure is too
    great. With no formal or de facto insurance against
    the effects of failure, people adopt “risk averse” of
    defensive decision-making, oriented to minimizing
    possible failure, rather than maximizing possible
    gain.
`   By preventing or minimizing negative shocks, social
    protection offers a limit to insecurity, and
    encourages the poor make bold choices about
    improving their livelihoods.
`   Strengthening the capacity of the poor to face risks
    also reduces the need to carry out expensive
    emergency interventions in case of shocks.

`   Social protection contributes directly to poverty reduction, which
    is good for economic growth:
`   Social protection includes direct transfers (e.g Social Cash
    Transfers) to people with no immediate capacity to support
    themselves, raising their incomes and consumption levels, and
    providing access to education and health services.
`   SP eliminates or reduces the dependence of the poorest on
    harmful coping mechanisms, and reducing absolute poverty in
    the short term;
`   SP add cash to the local economy, and enhances the future
    prospects for self-reliance amongst at least some of the
    recipients, particularly children.
`   SP also provides relief from extreme poverty therefore
    contributes to long-term economic growth.

Social protection promotes equity, which is good for economic
growth:
`   Inequality reflects large differences in the ability of
    Zambians to engage in economic growth. Excluding
    significant numbers of people from economic development
    threatens the sustainability of growth and improved
    livelihood.
`    Social protection measures promote inclusion, by
    facilitating participation in the economy and building human
    capital, particularly amongst women and children. Investing
    in social protection reduces the social costs generated by
    inequity and exclusion, which in contrast promotes crime
    and anti-social behaviour.
Social protection assists the most vulnerable to access their
human rights:
    • Children, women and men have the fundamental human right to
      access food, shelter, education, health care and legal protection on a
      secure and reliable basis. Children have the right to protection,
      provided by parents, adults and the state. Women and girls have the
      right not to suffer discrimination, violence and abuse. Disabled
      people have a right to a decent life, with proper provision of services
      and access to opportunity.
`    Social protection activities target people who are most likely
     to be denied these rights, providing services that strengthen
     and secure access to basic rights and freedoms.
`    Thus social protection is an investment in people that

SOCIAL PROTECTION PILLARS

                                                 Social
  Protection                                Insurance/Secur
                                                   ity

                           Disability
                        (mainstreame
                        d in all pillars)

                                            Social Assistance
Livelihood and
Empowernment

`   Programmes…for addressing poverty,
    vulnerability & risk…incapacitated h/holds
`   Can be public, private or combination
`   Depends on publicly mobilised resources
`   Non-contributory
`   Cash or non-cash transfers

`   Meant to cushion beneficiaries against
    future expenses
`   Tied to formal sector/regular income
`   Contributory
`   Public or privately-run
`   Benefits…accessible either upon prescribed
    age or calamity such as injury

`   Improve livelihood capacities of
    disadvantaged populations
`   Normally through access to credit, food
    supplies, training, etc
`   Either free or contributory (e.g. labour)

`   Protection of intrinsically vulnerable
    populations from vices such as abuse,
    exploitation, GBV, forced labour, human
    trafficking, etc
`   Normally…pieces of legislation are involved
`   Promotive policies…increased participation
    in decision-making

NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SETUP

` Currently, Social Protection is
  coordinated by the Sector Advisory
  Group on Social protection which
  comprise stakeholders from key
  ministries, civil society, NGOs and
  cooperating partners.
` The SAG is chaired by the Ministry of
  Community Development, Mother
  and Child Health which is the lead
  ministry in the area of social
  protection.

`   In line with the Government’s aspiration a
    high level coordinating Unit at Cabinet Office
    has been proposed in the National Social
    Protection Policy to oversee the development,
    implementation and integration of social
    protection strategies, programmes and
    financing.

`   The Ministry is awaiting guidance on how the
    structure will be operationalized and how it
    will interface with implementing institutions.

`   Social Protection is Zambia is anchored on
    preventive, protective, promotive and
    transformative approaches towards the people
    or communities that faces critical levels of
    vulnerability and deprivation.
`   There is therefore the need to promote
    academic discourse in Social Protection so that
    theory and practice blend for enhancement of
    programming and impact positively on the
    lives of the people.

THANK YOU

         AND

     THE MINISTRY

WISHES YOU ALL THE BEST