Duty to prevent discrimination by private health providers on grounds of gender, race or economic status in Brazil
The communication represented the first instance of maternal mortality to be addressed by the international system of human rights, and examined accountability of health provision, in relation to compounding forms of discrimination. The victim was a poor woman of Afro-Brazilian ethnicity. The ethnic, socio-economic and gender factors were widely...
Read MoreApplication of international provisions concerning maternal health in the Netherlands
In force until 1996, Article 3(a) of “Besluit ziekenhuisverpleging ziekenfondsverzekering” (Decree on health insurance and hospital care) required personal contributions from women towards the cost of postnatal care. Moreover, according to the explanatory note (“toelichting”) accompanying this Decree, personal contributions would also include postnatal care in hospitals regardless of...
Read MoreReduction of pensions for condemned prisoners in Azerbaijan
The Court was requested to examine whether Article 109 para. 1 of the Law of Azerbaijan Republic On Pension Maintenance of Citizens, allowing an 80 per cent reduction of pensions for entitled persons who are incarcerated, was inconsistent with the right to social protection, contained in Article 38 of...
Read MoreCoherent Constitutions and the Right to Social Protection for Adopted Children in Taiwan
The Judicial Yuan, a body responsible for interpreting the Constitution, examined the constitutionality of provisions in the Statute for Labor Insurance preventing children adopted within less than six months of the death of their adoptive parents from collecting social insurance benefits as survivors. The Court held that despite the...
Read MoreUnfair dismissal during protected maternity period in Benin
Consequences of childbirth led to a medical condition that would temporarily prevent rigorous physical activities, and subsequently have implications for the complainant’s work duties upon returning to Plan International Benin after maternity leave, due to the necessity of daily motorcycle travel. During extended maternity leave, she was dismissed on...
Read MoreRelevance of contractual terms to protections for employed women who are pregnant or breastfeeding in Colombia
This case addressed the circumstances of thirty-three women who had been dismissed from various forms of employment on the basis of being pregnant. Article 53 of the Political Constitution of the Republic of Colombia allows for the direct application of international law by domestic legal bodies. Ratified conventions and...
Read MoreFeasibility Study of the Introduction of a New Maternity Cash Benefits Scheme in Rwanda
The Government of Rwanda requested the ILO to carry out a feasibility study on the introduction of a new maternity benefit scheme in Rwanda. For the moment, public and private sector employers in Rwanda provide 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to female employees based on labour laws. Women on maternity...
Read MoreNamibia Social Protection Floor Assessment
This report is the result of collaboration between the Government of Namibia and the ILO. Drawing on the Social Protection Expenditure and Performance Review (SPER) and Social Budget methodologies, the objectives of the report are: 1) to improve the knowledge and information base on the coverage and performance of...
Read MoreReversing pension privatization. The experience of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Hungary
This paper systematically compares and evaluates the reforms of private pensions systems in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Hungary due to initial failures in design and performance after its implementation. The document presents advantages and flaws of the structural reforms and private pension systems before the re-reform and analyses legal...
Read MoreSocial security coverage extension in the BRICS: A comparative study on the extension of coverage in Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa
This comparative study of the International Social Security Association ISSA presents the diverse approaches of the BRICS for the extension of social security coverage. It shows how responses take into account the local realities and environment in each country, with a focus on innovations that measurabley extend and improve...
Read MoreHandbook on the extension of social security coverage to the self-employed
In many countries, a large proportion of the working-age population can be considered as self-employed – in both the formal and informal sectors. Given the challenges in covering the self-employed, this development means that a relatively small proportion of the total population may be covered for social security benefits. Targeted measures...
Read MoreHandbook on the extension of social security coverage to migrant workers
Report of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights (A/69/297)
The present report focuses on the implementation of the right to social protection through the adoption by all States of social protection floors. The very widely endorsed Social Protection Floor Initiative aims to guarantee basic income security and access to essential social services for all. In the report, the...
Read MoreEvidence on gender inequities in social health protection. The case of women living in rural areas
While in many developing countries, urban women have achieved some progress towards equality due to better chances in growing formal economies, rural women are often stuck in harsh living and working conditions in informal economies, e.g. as landless labourers or domestic workers. The objective of this paper is to...
Read MoreGlobal evidence on inequities in rural health protection: New data on rural deficits in health coverage for 174 countries
This paper presents global estimates on rural/urban disparities in access to health-care services. The report uses proxy indicators to assess key dimensions of coverage and access involving the core principles of universality and equity. Based on the results of the estimates, policy options are discussed to close the gaps...
Read MoreThe Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202): Completing the standards to close the coverage gap
Summary: In June 2012, the 101st session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) adopted the Recommendation concerning national floors of social protection, 2012 (No. 202). This article explores the linkages between Recommendation No. 202 and the pre-existing International Labour Organization (ILO) social security standards and its complementarity with these....
Read MoreWorld Report on Child Labour: Economic vulnerability, social protection and the fight against child labour
This report focuses on the role of social protection in preventing and reducing child labour. It is the first in the series of World Reports on Child Labour called for in the outcome document, the Roadmap, emerging from The Hague Global Child Labour Conference of 2010. The World Report...
Read MoreUniversal health protection: progress to date and the way forward
This paper proposes policy options based on ILO research and experiences that aim at universal coverage and equitable access to health care. The policy options discussed focus on ensuring the human rights to social security and health and on the rights-based approaches underpinning the need for equity and poverty...
Read MoreSocial Security for All: Building social protection floors and comprehensive social security systems. The strategy of the International Labour Organization
This document lays out the social security strategy of the International Labour Organization on the extension of social security. The ILO’s two-dimensional strategy provides clear guidance on the future development of social security in countries at all levels of development. Its horizontal dimension aims at establishing and maintaining social...
Read MoreSocial Security and the Rule of Law: General Survey concerning social security instruments in the light of the 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization
In March 2009, at its 304th Session, the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization decided that the recurrent item on the agenda of the 100th Session (2011) of the International Labour Conference should address the ILO strategic objective of enhancing the coverage and effectiveness of social protection, and...
Read MoreSocial protection for older persons: Key policy trends and statistics
This policy paper: (i) provides a global overview of the organization of pension systems, their coverage and benefits, as well as public expenditures on social security, in 178 countries; (ii) analyses trends and recent policies, e.g. extension of coverage in a large number of low- and middle-income countries; (iii)...
Read MoreRapid extension of health protection
This policy brief summarizes the limited coverage of health protection today. It suggests three steps to rapidly extend health protection and achieve universal health coverage that is sustainable and allows for returns in terms of socio-economic development and growth. Link to this...
Read MoreMaternity and paternity at work: Law and practice across the world
This report reviews national legislative provisions on maternity protection at work in 185 countries and territories (including leave, benefits, employment protection, health protection, breastfeeding arrangements at work and childcare), statistical coverage in law and in practice of paid maternity leave as well as statutory provision of paternity, parental and adoption leaves....
Read MoreMedical Care Recommendation, 1944 (No. 69)
Together with Recommendation No. 67 and Recommendation No. 69 is at the origin of the development of social security in ILO instruments and can be considered the blueprint for comprehensive social security systems. Together, they establish a comprehensive system of income security and medical care protection for each of...
Read MoreSemi-conditional cash transfers in the form of family allowances for children and adolescents in the informal economy in Argentina
In 2009, Argentina introduced a new transfer programme for children and adolescents younger than age 18 (Universal Child Allowance) that extended coverage under the contributory programme for family allowances to include families in the informal economy and families of unemployed persons. This article describes this innovative programme, compares it...
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