From poverty to power - Oxfam-Québec

SOCIAL PROTECTIONIt may seem surprising that giving pensions to the elderly should helpto keep children in school. However, in South Africa and Brazilmonthly cheques enable elderly people both to look after themselvesand support their grandchildren, conferring dignity in old age andpreparing the citizens of tomorrow to play an active and productiverole. In the case of South Africa, grandparents have become all themore important since so many parents have succumbed to 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 to poor people;• Protect vulnerable people against livelihood risks; and• Enhance the social status and rights of those who aremarginalised.Its overall objective is to reduce the economic and social vulnerabilityof poor and marginalised groups. 11Policies and programmes based upon this approach involve directresource transfers to 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 to the most vulnerable207