Extending Coverage: Social Protection and the Informal Economy: Experiences and ideas from researchers and practitioners

By Berman, Pierre, Jean

Book Id: WPLBN0100002726
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 6.02 MB
Reproduction Date: 1/7/2018

Title:	Extending Coverage: Social Protection and the Informal Economy: Experiences and ideas from researchers and practitioners
Author:	Berman, Pierre, Jean
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non Fiction, Social Sciences, Social protection, informal economy
Collections:	Authors Community, Education
Historic Publication Date:	2018
Publisher:	RNSF

Member Page:	Pierre Berman
Citation APA MLA Chicago Jean Berman, B. P. (2018). Extending Coverage: Social Protection and the Informal Economy. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Description
This book was drafted during the Regional Workshop held in Kenya last February as a collective effort of academics, public officers, regional experts, and civil society organisations to answer the question: “How can we use social protection mechanisms as a tool for promoting social inclusion of people dependent on the informal economy?” This workshop was organised as part of the ambition of the RNSF to improve knowledge on ways to enhance the livelihoods of people in the informal economy and to increase the social inclusion of vulnerable groups through research, identification of best practices, information sharing and networking on key themes of the informal economy with the support of the IESF Group. More info on: http://europa.eu/capacity4dev/iesf

Summary
Many of the workers in the formal economy can take certain things for granted: a regular income, health insurance, unemployment benefits if they lose their jobs, and a pension when they retire. Such things are a distant dream for workers in the informal economy, who in many countries make up most of the workforce. For them, unemployment, maternity or retirement can push their families deep into poverty. An illness or accident may mean hunger, homelessness and destitution. Ensuring that such workers benefit from such social protection is important for both social and economic reasons. Informal workers contribute greatly to the broader economy so deserve its support in times of need. Access to health care can prevent an illness from getting worse and help someone return to work more quickly. Unemployment and maternity benefits help people cope with a temporary loss of income. It is in society’s interest to prevent retirees from falling into poverty. Initiatives in various countries have shown that social protection can be extended to workers in the informal economy. This book draws on research and the experience of a team of specialists to offer guidelines and recommendations on what works. It focuses on three key aspects: the legal and institutional framework, access to social protection, and community-based social protection.