The Future of Social Protection in Africa: From Cash Transfers to Innovative Solutions
Date and Time:?28 November 2023, 09:00 a.m - 11:00 a.m?
Download Concept Note (English | French)
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Summary
The United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, in collaboration with the African Capacity Building Foundation, invites you to a webinar on "The Future of Social Protection in Africa: From Cash Transfers to Innovative Solutions".
Amid the myriad challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, one bright spot that emerged in Africa was the unprecedented roll-out of social protection mechanisms, including cash transfers, to combat the worst social and economic effects of the crisis. Distributing money to people who need it, cash transfer programmes allow individuals and families to use the funds to set their own developmental priorities. At the same time, grassroots social protection mechanisms founded on African traditional values and based on kinship or self-organized mutual aid have long acted as an important tool for welfare protection and social cohesion. Community institutions developed in many societies across the continent have long provided social security approaches that, in some cases, demonstrate a better fit for the local context and are more responsive to national circumstances.
Against this background, the webinar will present and discuss different social protection mechanisms that can contribute to providing a holistic response to the challenges faced by African countries and their populations.
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