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From Poverty to Power Green, Oxfam 2008 - weman

From Poverty to Power Green, Oxfam 2008 - weman

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SOCIAL PROTECTIONIt may seem surprising that giving pensions <strong>to</strong> the elderly should help<strong>to</strong> keep children in school. However, in South Africa and Brazilmonthly cheques enable elderly people both <strong>to</strong> look after themselvesand support their grandchildren, conferring dignity in old age andpreparing the citizens of <strong>to</strong>morrow <strong>to</strong> play an active and productiverole. In the case of South Africa, grandparents have become all themore important since so many parents have succumbed <strong>to</strong> AIDS.Pensions are just one example of what is called ‘social protection’.Social protection describes all public and private initiatives that:• Provide income or consumption transfers <strong>to</strong> poor people;• Protect vulnerable people against livelihood risks; and• Enhance the social status and rights of those who aremarginalised.Its overall objective is <strong>to</strong> reduce the economic and social vulnerabilityof poor and marginalised groups. 11Policies and programmes based upon this approach involve directresource transfers <strong>to</strong> poor people, disaster risk reduction (for example,flood protection and crop diversification), and addressing the structuralcauses of people’s vulnerability and marginalisation (for example,legislation on minority rights and anti-discrimination campaigns).Taken for granted in many developed countries, where welfarestates routinely transfer income and support <strong>to</strong> the most vulnerable207

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