Social Protection Podcast socialprotection.org

Throughout the Indo-Pacific region, climate change is already threatening livelihoods and exacerbating poverty. Extreme weather events and rising sea levels are creating new vulnerable populations in unprecedented ways. To tackle climate change, countries will need to undergo major economic and social transformations, which could risk leaving even more people behind.
So, what do these changing risks mean for the way social protection is designed? And what kinds of radical rethinking might be necessary to build systems for the future? In this episode, our guests are grappling with these questions, working to reimagine social protection schemes to confront the realities of a changing climate.
This is the grand finale of a three-part series of the Social Protection Podcast titled "Emerging Trends for Social Protection in the Indo-Pacific," presented by socialprotection.org. We extend our gratitude to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for their invaluable support in shaping this series and facilitating connections with the most suitable guests for each episode.
 
Meet our guests:
Sreng Sophornreaksmey, Director of the Policy Department at the General Secretariat for the National Social Protection Council for the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Palash Kanti Das, Director of the Ultra-poor Graduation Program for BRAC in Bangladesh.
Anna McCord, Lead for the Climate Change and Social Protection Research Initiative at the Poverty and Inequality practice.
For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Inge Stockl, an independent social protection consultant working on a range of social protection assignments in the Asia Pacific region.
 
Episode Resources:
Publication | Fiji Anticipatory Action
Publication | On the Front Foot: Envisaging a model for anticipatory action in the Pacific.
Publication | The Economics of Acting Early - Evidence of Climate and Disaster Actions in the Pacific
Podcast | Emerging Trends in the Indo-Pacific Series Ep. 01 | The Evolution of SP in the Pacific
 
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As we produced this episode, numerous climate-change related disasters have occurred globally, including incidents in Brazil, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Tanzania, and France.
As you will hear from our guests' discussions in this episode, the impacts of climate change are increasingly evident, leading to more frequent and severe disasters.
In addition to the social protection and humanitarian action provided by different actors, such as governments, NGOs, and international organizations, if you wish to support those affected by these and other natural disasters, please refer to official channels for ways to help. You can also contribute to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund’s Climate Action, which pools contributions from across the globe into a single fund and allocates money to humanitarian partners on the front lines of emergency responses when climate-related disasters strike.

In Southeast Asia the gig economy is growing fast. Attracted by the promise of flexibility, independence, and low entry costs, gig workers offer their services on a task-by-task basis facilitated through a digital platform or app. The appeal of this model has attracted millions of workers in the region, however, unlike traditional employees, gig workers often lack access to essential social protection schemes, such as health insurance, old-age pension, and unemployment benefits.
In this episode, we examine the challenges presented by this new employment trend. Workers often face precarious working conditions which leave them vulnerable to shocks and unexpected events.  We discuss how governments, unions, and the platforms themselves can work to bridge social protection gaps and extend coverage to this growing group.
This is the second episode of a three-part series titled "Emerging trends for Social Protection in the Indo-Pacific", presented by socialprotection.org. We extend our gratitude to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for their invaluable support in shaping this series and facilitating connections with the most suitable guests for each episode.
 
Meet our guests:
Brendan Chia, Head, Regional Public Affairs and Policy for Grab.
Francis Kim Upgi, Director of Economic and Social policy for ITUC
Yesim Elhan-Kayalar, Advisor, Office of the Chief Economist at ADB
 
For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Cyrus Afshar, Social protection Officer at WIEGO and host of WIEGO’s Informal Economy Podcast.
 
Episode Resources:
Publication | Gig Economy Employment during the Pandemic: An Analysis of GrabFood Driver Experiences in the Philippines
Publication | Social Protection as a Solar System
Podcast | Informal Economy Podcast
Publication | Challenges and strategies to increase social protection financing for workers in informal employment
Webinar | Is social protection to blame for informality?
Podcast episode | Challenging Global Social Protection Orthodoxies

This episode will explore the ways social protection has evolved in Pacific Island countries, starting with provident funds to the slow growth of lifecycle schemes for the elderly and people with disabilities. It will then look at how the COVID-19 crisis and the impacts of disasters and climate change have changed the way Pacific nations are thinking about social protection. 
This episode will ask, how do governments see the social protection landscape evolving in the future? Will countries continue to take a slow and gradual approach, focused on incremental growth of lifecycle schemes? Or has the growing interest from development partners and the growing pressures of climate change shifted priorities and approaches? 
This marks the inaugural episode of a three-part series focusing on emerging trends for Social Protection in the Indo-Pacific, presented by socialprotection.org. We extend our gratitude to the Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for their invaluable support in shaping this series and facilitating connections with the most suitable guests for each episode. 
 
Meet our guests:
Veremo Muria, Director, Fiji’s Department of Social Welfare (MWCSP) 
Shirin Gul, Technical Specialist for Social Protection, Kiribati's Ministry of Women, Youth, Sports and Social Affairs (MWYSSA) 
Karishma Houda, Team Leader, Partnerships for Social Protection (P4SP) 
For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Lisa Hannigan, Senior Social Protection Specialist, Australian Government/Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Lisa discusses the significance of dignity in social protection, drawing from discussions and publications on the subject.  
 
Quick Wins 
Publication | Crowding-out or crowding-in? Effects of LEAP 1000 unconditional cash transfer program on household and community support among women in rural Ghana

In today's episode, we delve into a pressing topic: the evolving landscape of social protection systems and their critical role in addressing the unique needs of women and girls throughout their lives.
There's a growing recognition of the importance of tailoring social programmes to meet these specific needs, but we're also becoming more aware of how these programmes may inadvertently perpetuate gender norms, assuming women's roles in work and caregiving.
Can social protection systems be a catalyst for change? Can they challenge the very structures and norms that perpetuate gender inequalities?
As we commemorate International Women's Day this month, join us as we explore the concept of gender-transformative social protection. We'll examine how these programmes and systems have the potential to drive transformative change, paving the way for a more equitable future.
 
Meet our guests:
Tara Cookson, Canada Research Chair in Gender Development and Global Public Policy, University of British Columbia.
Maja Gavrilovic, Social Protection Consultant.
Lauren Whitehead, Social Protection and Gender Lead, UNICEF HQ.
For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Tia Palermo, president at Policy Research Solutions—PRESTO, and associate professor at the University of Buffalo. She shared insights and highlights from several recent papers in the field.
 
Resources
Publication | Promoting Gender-Transformative Change through Social Protection:An analytical approach
Publication | Social protection systems and gender: A review of the evidence
Publication | Changing rural women’s lives through gender transformative social protection: A paper on gender transformative social protection concepts, evidence and practice in the context of food security and nutrition.
 Quick Wins
Publication | Mapping gender and social protection data
Publication | Leveraging social protection to support women’s and girls’ climate resilience in low- and middle-income countries
Publication | Unconditional cash transfers and safe transitions to adulthood in Malawi
 

Among the decisions made at the last Conference of Parties (COP28), was the establishment of the new Loss and Damage Fund, designed to assist countries most vulnerable to climate change.  We talked to our guests about the structure of this new fund and the possibilities for countries to draw on such climate financing mechanisms to build and enhance their social protection systems.
In this episode, we delved into the role of social protection in supporting major transitions in energy, industry and food systems necessary to reduce carbon emissions and meet global targets, and how social protection systems can support a just transition for all.
Meet our guests:
Gala Dahlet, Social Protection Officer, FAO.
Jana Bischler, Technical Officer for Social Protection and Climate Change, ILO.
Ann Vaughan, Senior Advisor for Climate Change in the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, USAID.
For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Hazel Calderon, the leader of fisheries and aquaculture social protection for FAO, who shared insights and highlights from the latest FAO event on social Protection for fisheries.
 
Resources
Publication | The Relevance of Social Protection Systems for the Loss and Damage Fund and Funding Arrangements
Livestream | Events at the just transition pavilion at COP28
 
Quick Wins
Website | Social Protection for Fisheries and Aquaculture (SocPro4Fish)

Join us for our special End-of-Year episode, where we unravel the tapestry of 2023, exploring the critical discussions and ground-breaking studies that shaped the landscape of social protection.
From adaptive social protection initiatives to food security policies, we delve into the hot topics that ignited debates across the globe. Discover the key takeaways from eye-opening studies that explored climate adaptation, social protection impact, and migration. As we bid farewell to 2023, we invite you to reflect on the wins, challenges, and transformative moments that defined the year in social protection.
In the Quick Wins segment, our guest Roberta Brito will highlight the latest content from socialprotection.org's Digest. She will offer a sneak peek into an upcoming piece, providing a glimpse into emerging trends. 
Meet our guests:
Rodolfo Beazley, Independent Consultant
Roberta Brito, Researcher, socialprotection.org
Resources:
Publication | Social Protection in the Developing World
Compilation | Social Protection Digest #1