The theme of the 2015 Social Monitor, Social Protection for Child Rights and Well-being in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, aims to focus the attention of policy makers on the successes as well as the gaps in delivering on their commitments to protect children’s rights....

This short paper aims to answer this question by assessing the evidence on Brazil’s social security system. It will examine the beneficiary numbers, budgets, levels of benefits and, importantly, impacts and coverage of the main social security schemes in Brazil. This paper will reveal that the real hero driving...

This quick reference guide intended to contribute to the efforts of NHRIs/IHRICs to effectively and meaningfully implement a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to sexual and reproductive health, maternal health2 and under-5 child health. It complements other tools and builds on the two technical guidance documents of the Office of...

This one-page brief examines grievance mechanisms in social protection...

This brief examines challenges facing rural women in Brazil under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development. Esse “brief” examina os desafios a serem enfrentados pelas mulheres de regiões rurais do Brasil no que diz respeito à Agenda 2030 para o Desenvolvimento...

Of the 23 million children under the age of 18 in South Africa, about 60 per cent lives in poverty. The Child Support Grant (CSG), introduced in 1998, initially covered only 10 per cent of poor children. Incremental changes in the eligibility criteria and successful awareness-raising campaigns increased the...

Since 1998, Romania’s Builders’ Social Fund, or Casa Socială a Constructorilor (CSC), has provided income protection for workers in the construction sector during the interruption of work in winter. The CSC is a non-profit organization based on a sectoral social agreement. It operates on a bipartite basis. It is...

The Old Age Pension (OAP) is a tax-based scheme for all older persons. This non-contributory social pension also benefits other household members, particularly children. This brief explores Lesotho’s experience in extending the...

Between 2003 and 2013, the number of people covered by the health insurance system in China increased by ten times and has now achieved universal coverage (96.9 per cent of the population). This brief explores China’s experience in extending health...

Georgia’s introduction of a Child Benefit in 2015 was a significant step forward for children. Yet much more is needed. This paper shows that the vast majority of children in Georgia experience insecure lives and are in need of additional support from the State. The expansion of the Child...

The present study looks at the importance of the zakat system for social protection in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It was undertaken in the context of the work of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on the mixed economy of welfare in...

This discussion paper reviews the extensive literature on sanitation to show that inadequate access to this basic service prevents the realization of a range of human rights and of gender equality. We recognize that “dignity” is a highly culture- and gender-specific term; we therefore argue that sanitation for all—sanitation...

How trade liberalization affects women’s position in the labour market and what role public policy should play to make the process work better for women are among some of the most debated issues in academic communities and in policy-making arenas. This paper sheds light on these contentious issues by...

This paper identifies a series of macro-level tools to create a supportive environment and generate the resources to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to gender equality. The paper argues that financing for gender equality can be self-sustaining because of the feedback effects from gender equality to economy-wide...

Sixty-five years after the International Labour Organization Convention No. 100 on equal remuneration, the gender pay gap remains pervasive across all regions and most sectors, and policy debate continues on how to close it. Policy attention has focused on women’s own behaviour and choices, but women have been investing...

The construction industry is important for Chinese rural to urban migrants. Over 90 per cent of urban construction workers are rural migrants, and over a third of all rural migrants work in construction. The construction industry is not only particularly important, but is also different from other industries in...

This working paper: (i) provides an overview of the global situation of social security provisions for domestic workers in 163 countries; (ii) analyses trends, policies and gaps in terms of legal and effective social security coverage for domestic workers; (iii) describes and analyses the configuration of social security schemes...

Le présent rapport permet d’examiner différentes questions : de la non-revendication des droits et des services par les femmes – en raison du silence et de la stigmatisation qui entoure les menstruations – à la maitrise de l’hygiène menstruelle et à la gestion des déchets dans la région de...

Development Pathways undertook a series of experiments which aimed to compare conditional and unconditional transfers. This brief outlines the results of these...

A report examining menstruation and its management from the perspective of women and girls in the Kedougou Region of Senegal. These range from an inability to exercise their rights and access services due to the silence and stigma that surround menstruation, to poor menstrual hygiene practices and waste management....

The ground-breaking report highlights the plight of voiceless, underserved groups, and their need for safe and satisfactory sanitation and hygiene. “Leave No One Behind” summarizes the sanitation and hygiene hopes and aspirations of thousands of women and men of different ages and physical ability, across rural and urban areas...

This paper systematically reviews the evidence on whether persons with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries are adequately included in social protection programmes, and assesses the financial and non-financial impacts of participation. Overall, we found that access to social protection appears to fall far below need. Benefits from participation...

This working paper is one of the five country studies on cash transfer programmes and women’s empowerment. The review of the South African experience in this study is complemented by country studies on Brazil, Chile, India and Mexico. Its results have also informed a comparative study, authored by Elaine...

This document was prepared in 2015. It contains, for the constitutions of 21 Latin American countries, a compendium of their provisions that affirm the right to social security, social protection, or social assistance; obligations of the State to protect individuals against specific social risks or to protect specific vulnerable...

The purpose of this handbook is to assist those working directly with people living in extreme poverty to understand the latter’s situation from a human rights perspective, and to suggest actions that can be taken with local governments and other sectors of society to ensure that their rights are...