Inclusive and non-contributory social protection system
UNICEF supports the national social protection policy, the objective of which is to reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty by 15%, in particular by targeting the most vulnerable
Challenges
In Madagascar, 91 percent of the population live below the national poverty line. The country is also vulnerable to natural disasters, thus having an impact on the food and nutrition security of communities: 5 million people, i.e. 22 percent of the population, live in areas highly prone to cyclones, floods or drought. To reduce the negative impact of poverty and natural disasters, community resilience has proved to be essential.
Being relatively new in Madagascar, social protection is one of the recommended responses to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable communities. The National Social Protection Policy was adopted in 2015. UNICEF, as the co-lead of the social protection cluster, supports the Government in implementing this policy.
UNICEF’s actions
Establishment of legal and institutional framework
UNICEF supported the establishment of the law on non-contributory social protection and decrees relating to the register of beneficiaries and the coordination of social protection.
UNICEF is currently involved in updating the national social protection strategy and developing its action plan. Among other things, this plan will define in detail the actions to be carried out to strengthen the institutional framework, gradually increase the coverage of social protection programs, and strengthen the ability of the national system to respond to shocks.
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Coordination and harmonization of social protection actions As the co-lead of the social protection cluster in Madagascar with the Ministry in charge of social protection, UNICEF supports the operationalization of the Social Protection Thematic Group – a key platform for coordinating actions in the field, at national and regional level (Androy, Anosy, Atsimo Atsinanana, Atsinanana, Haute Matsiatra, Vakinankaratra, Vatovavy Fitovinany). At the national level, 4 sub-groups have been set up: social protection in emergency situations and social transfers, improvement of access to basic social services, increase in the incomes of the poorest and progressive consolidation of the contributory system. To strengthen harmonization, UNICEF supported the establishment of 11 principles for emergency transfers, the roadmap for the implementation thereof, and a study on options for harmonizing cash transfers.
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Implementation of social protection programs
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UNICEF provides technical and financial support in the implementation of some social protection programs: - Fiavota: launched in 2016 for unconditional cash transfers in response to the food insecurity crisis caused by El Nino, the program switched to cash transfers for Human Development. The transfers have indeed been made contingent to children's primary school attendance. Jointly funded by the World Bank, the program reaches 65,000 households in the regions of Anosy and Androy. - Let Us Learn: implemented since October 2016, the program is complementary to the cash transfer program for human development; it aims to allow for the transition of children from primary to secondary school and keep them in secondary school. It targets 14,000 children in the Atsimo Andrefana, Atsinanana, Haute Matsiatra, Vakinankaratra, Vatovavy Fitovinany regions. In case of emergency, as needed, UNICEF mobilizes resources to make unconditional social transfers for households affected by shocks, such as the aftermath of the 2017 Cyclone Enawo.
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Capacity building and communication on social protection |
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Since social protection is relatively new in Madagascar, UNICEF supports the team of the Ministry in charge of social protection through participation in various international conferences, the mobilization of international experts, the organization of workshops on key themes related to social protection. UNICEF supports the Ministry in charge of social protection in its efforts in ensuring effective communication on social protection in the country, including the dissemination of analysis and studies on social protection, the development and distribution of the social protection journal and other communication tools, as well as resource mobilization meetings.
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