“Social Security in South Asia: Inequality and Vulnerability”
15 August 2024
The South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) has unveiled its 7th triennial South Asia Poverty and Vulnerability Report. The report highlights the growing fragility of livelihoods for the working poor and marginalized people in the region, exacerbated by the pre-dominance of informal and precarious work arrangements, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing climate crises.
The report captures ground narratives and voices from affected communities, providing a comprehensive analysis of the current situation and exploring possible interventions to achieve universal social security. Key themes of the report include:
- Central Shared Concerns: The prevalence of the informal sector, growth of precarious work, emergence of neoliberal states, and deepened economic and political instability are contributing to livelihood issues and exclusionary social security trends in South Asia.
- Urgency of Social Security: The report underscores the urgent need to provide social security to the laboring poor, as reductions in government budgets and neoliberal policies have led to unprecedented levels of wealth and income inequality.
- Core Determinants of Social Security: It examines the core determinants and defining aspects of social security in South Asia to gain a deeper understanding of social security interventions in the region.
- Temporal Changes and State Roles: The report explores temporal changes and the evolving role of states, highlighting the importance of fundamental rights in social security provisions.
- Holistic Approach for Women: Emphasizing the need for a broader approach, the report focuses on providing social security to women in South Asia, particularly the working poor and marginalized women.
- Possible Interventions: The report discusses potential interventions to strengthen social security in South Asia.
The report is available on the SAAPE website, which includes abridged versions of all country reports. Full reports for each country will also be made available online.
For further information or questions, please contact us at saape.network@gmail.com.