Addressing gendered risks and vulnerabilities through social protection: examples of good practice from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Peru

Abstract

This article examines three social protection interventions from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Peru, and discusses the extent to which they effectively integrate a gender perspective to address poverty and vulnerability. All three case studies have important design features aiming to tackle gender inequalities in both the economic and social spheres, which is critical for programme effectiveness. Despite these examples of good practice, however, there are gaps in programme design, particularly in explicitly challenging existing inequalities between men and women, for instance, such as promoting women's quality participation in the labour market, and their active engagement, voice and agency in household and community decision-making. Moreover, greater investment in the implementation of such features is often needed to effectively translate programme goals into gender equitable outcomes and impacts.

Keywords:

• social protection
• gender
• social and economic vulnerabilities
• Bangladesh
• Ethiopia
• Peru

Notes

1. By practical gender needs we are drawing on Molyneux's (1985) distinction between different types of gender interests – practical and strategic. Practical gender interests refer to immediate perceived needs as related to gendered roles and responsibilities. ‘By virtue of their place within the sexual division of labour, women are disproportionately responsible for childcare and family health, and they are particularly concerned with housing and food provision’ (ibid., 298). By contrast, strategic gender interests are those that are related to more fundamental and long-term transformations of gender hierarchies and inequities, such as differential access to political power or the mal-distribution of resources between men and women.

2. The details of this project are discussed fully in another article in this issue.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rebecca Holmes

Rebecca Holmes, Research Fellow, Overseas Development Institute (UK)

Nicola Jones

Nicola Jones, Research Fellow, Overseas Development Institute, UK

Fouzia Mannan

Fouzia Mannan, Department of Gender and Women's Studies, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Rosana Vargas

Rosana Vargas, Independent Consultant, Peru

Yisak Tafere

Yisak Tafere, PhD Candidate, Norwegian Child Research Center, NTNU, Ethiopia

Tassew Woldehanna

Tassew Woldehanna, Associate Professor, Dept of Economics, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia