Ep. 65 | Beyond the Cost: Why Investing in Social Protection Matters

As part of socialprotection.org’s 11th anniversary, this episode explores the central question behind the campaign: what does society stand to lose when we do not invest in social protection?  Too often framed primarily as a public expense, social protection can play a critical role in reducing poverty and inequality, expanding access to opportunities, and helping people and economies withstand and recover from shocks. When adequate protection is not in place, the consequences can extend across the life course and across societies, reinforcing vulnerability, limiting inclusive development, and weakening social cohesion.  Drawing on evidence and examples from different contexts, this episode delves into the social and economic returns of investing in social protection, from early childhood, care and informal employment to economic inclusion and crisis preparedness. What are the wider costs of leaving people without adequate protection? How can stronger, universal systems contribute to resilience, productivity and more equitable opportunities? And what does it take to build and expand social protection systems when governments face competing priorities and limited resources?    Meet our guests:  Laura Alfers, International Coordinator, WIEGO  Dominic Richardson, Managing Director, Learning for Well-being Institute  Jamele Rigolini, Senior Advisor for Social Policy, The World Bank    For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Sherine Al-Shawarby, Professor of Economics at Cairo University and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, Economics and Business Administration at May University in Cairo, who discussed the ongoing debate around bread subsidy reform in Egypt    💬 Your feedback and ideas for the podcast are always welcome. Share your suggestions on topics to cover, resources, or guest recommendations. 

In the context of global price shocks, governments often turn to subsidies to shield households and businesses from rising costs. While subsidies can provide immediate relief, they are also among the most contested policy instruments. Given how costly they are to sustain, subsidies often have regressive distributional impact making them notoriously difficult to reform. In this concluding episode of our two-part discussion on subsidies, we explore why subsidy reform remains one of the most politically and economically challenging issues in social policy. If there is broad agreement that resources could often be used more effectively through targeted social protection, why do subsidies continue to persist? What political, institutional, and social factors make reform so difficult? And what lessons can be drawn from countries that have successfully transitioned towards more equitable and efficient systems? We also examine the role of social protection in making the reforms feasible. As governments seek fiscal space to strengthen social protection systems and respond to economic, climate, and other shocks, compensatory cash transfers and adaptive social protection have increasingly been presented as viable alternatives to broad-based subsidies and strong enablers of a successful reform. Meet our guests: Dr. Neil McCulloch, Director, The Policy Practice Tara Moayed, Governance and Social Development Consultant For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Shaun Baugh, Programme Manager at Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat who shed light on the implications of the “Super El Niño”, alongside other climate and global shocks, for food security and vulnerable populations in the region. Related resources Publication | Intersecting Global and Regional Shocks: Implications of the Middle East Crisis and El Niño for Food Security in the Caribbean Publication | From Regressive Subsidies to Progressive Redistribution: The Role of Redistribution and Recognition in Energy Subsidy Reform

Over recent decades, global shocks such as the Global Food, Fuel and Financial Crisis of 2007–2009, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, have driven countries to rapidly scale up social protection measures, including subsidies, to cushion households from rising food and energy prices. Increasing attention has also been placed on shock-responsive measures to address climate disasters and other crises. The recent conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to energy infrastructure and oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz have once again highlighted the vulnerability of global energy and food systems. While oil flows have resumed, markets are expected to stabilise over time, with continued impacts on energy prices, agricultural inputs and household budgets. In this first episode of a two-part discussion on subsidies, we draw on recent analyses to explore why such policies continue to account for over half of global responses to price shocks despite their regressive nature and significant fiscal costs, and what it would take to strengthen social protection systems as more effective and sustainable alternatives. Why do governments continue to rely on subsidies despite these challenges? What prevents social protection systems from playing a larger role during crises? And what would it take to build systems that can respond more quickly and effectively when the next shock hits?   * This episode was recorded on 17 June 2026. While we recognize that there have been further developments in the Iran-US peace talks, the discussions in this episode remain relevant and continue to provide valuable context.   Meet our guests:   Giovanna Mazzeo Ortolani, Social Protection Specialist, FAO Yannick Hemmerlé, Economist, OECD Economics Department   For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Marina Carvalho, Project Manager at socialprotection.org, who introduced some of the  key features and improvements of the new socialprotection.org platform,  launched in June! We invite you to explore the new platform and join us in growing the world's leading knowledge-sharing community on social protection!   Resources: Report | Tracking Global Social Policy Responses to High Energy Prices Report | The role of social protection in addressing the impacts of the 2026 conflict in the Middle East Policy Brief | Energy prices are spiking again

In this episode of the Social Inclusion Series*, we explore how social protection systems can support greater inclusion for persons with disabilities across the Asia-Pacific region. Most of them face multiple and interconnected barriers, ranging from inaccessible environments and social stigma to the high costs of healthcare, assistive technologies, and care. When these needs go unmet, they can lead to increased risk of poverty, reduced participation in education and employment, and diminished well-being for individuals and their families. This episode examines how governments and communities are working to address these challenges. We unpack “cash-plus” approaches that combine income support with health coverage, assistive devices, and care services, and look at how countries, especially in Southeast Asia, are designing more inclusive and responsive forms of support.. Meet our guests:  Abner Manlapaz, Senior Associate of Center for Inclusive Policy (CIP) Charles Knox-Vydmanov, Social Policy Specialist (Inclusive Social Protection – Disability), UNICEF For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Sam Drummond, the host of the podcast ‘Building Inclusion’, a limited podcast series that highlights the voices shaping the future of disability inclusion in Australia. *The Social Inclusion Series, produced by socialprotection.org in partnership with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), is a three-part series that explores how social protection systems can advance the economic and social inclusion of vulnerable populations across the Indo-Pacific, in line with GEDSI principles, addressing key themes such as gender equality, demographic shifts, and disability inclusion.   Resources: Multimedia | Building Inclusion: Australia’s Disability Strategy Publication | Global Disability Inclusion Report Publication | Methodological Guidelines on Assessing Household Disability-Related Costs and Their Implication for Participation Publication | Building an inclusive future: Social protection as a catalyst for disability empowerment in Viet Nam Publication| Bridging the information gap towards inclusive governance

In this second episode of the Social Inclusion Series*, we explore how ageing populations are reshaping social protection needs and development across Asia and the Pacific. While demographic trends vary widely across the region, countries are increasingly facing issues on how to support income security, health, care, and dignity in later life. The episode explores the links between ageing, pension systems, and the care economy, which has long relied on women’s unpaid labour, including how family-based care is coming under increasing pressure from migration, urbanisation, and changing social and economic conditions. Drawing on examples from the Asia-Pacific region, with a closer look at the experience of Fiji, our guests discuss how social protection can evolve to complement family and community support, reduce poverty, and strengthen resilience across the life course. Meet our guests:  Philip O’Keefe, Professor of Practice, Centre for Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), University of New South Wales Jesse Doyle, Senior Social Protection Specialist (Economist), P4SP** Ms Rozia Bi, National Coordinator - Social Protection Reforms, Fiji Ministry of Women, Children & Social Protection For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Meghna Ranganathan, Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who shared insights on how the impacts of social protection interventions on intimate partner violence and household dynamics evolve over time, and reflected on more inclusive approaches to research and evidence. *The Social Inclusion Series, produced by socialprotection.org in partnership with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), is a three-part series that explores how social protection systems can advance the economic and social inclusion of vulnerable populations across the Indo-Pacific, in line with GEDSI principles, addressing key themes such as gender equality, demographic shifts, and disability inclusion. **P4SP stands for Partnership for Social Protection and it is a program funded and supported by the Australian Government. More information here.  Resources: Publication | World social protection report 2024-26: Regional companion report for Asia and the Pacific Publication | Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific 2024 - Protecting our Future Today: Social Protection in Asia and the Pacific Publication | Toward a Resilient Care Ecosystem in Asia and the Pacific - Promising Practices, Lessons Learned, and Pathways for Action on Decent Care Work Publication | Caring Societies, Inclusive, and Green Economies in Asia and the Pacific: Unveiling Data To Advance Women’s Empowerment Beyond GDP Blog | Why Asia-Pacific should care about care: Care infrastructure is the next frontier development solution across the region Blog | Ageing in the Global South: The challenge of social protection Publication | Future demand for care in Indonesia, the Philippines & Vietnam Website | Cash Transfer and IPV Research Collaborative Publication | Evolution of intimate partner violence impacts from cash transfers, food transfers, and behaviour change communication: Mixed-method experimental evidence from a nine-year post-programme follow-up in Bangladesh Publication | Decolonising implementation science: a call for methodological pluralism

In this first episode of the Social Inclusion Series*, we shine a spotlight on adolescent girls. Adolescence is a turning point—but one that often goes overlooked in social protection. These years are filled with major transitions, especially for girls, who often face greater challenges in staying in school, taking on care responsibilities, navigating sexual debut, and making decisions about their futures. These challenges are often driven by underlying gender inequalities and poverty, which shape and often constrain these pathways.   In this episode, we explore how social protection can help shift that trajectory. Focusing on risks such as child marriage and early pregnancy, we unpack how well-designed programmes can support girls to stay in school, access essential services, and navigate this critical stage of life with greater security. It also discusses how crisis—from economic shocks to climate change—can deepen risks, making already fragile transitions even more uncertain for adolescent girls.  Our guests dive into the evidence on what works providing some examples in Asia and worldwide and discuss why investing in adolescent girls is key to building more inclusive, resilient and climate-adaptive societies.  Meet our guests:  Kath Ford, Deputy Director, Young Lives Research Program, University of Oxford  Dr. Nyasha Tirivayi, Social Policy Manager, UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence-Innocenti  For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Eunice Tumwebaze, who is the Manager for Gender, Youth, and Children at the Kampala Capital City Authority in Uganda, who provided and overview of the Uganda's first urban social protection program for girls called “Girls Empowering Girls”.  *The Social Inclusion Series, produced by socialprotection.org in partnership with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), is a three-part series that explores how social protection systems can advance the economic and social inclusion of vulnerable populations across the Indo-Pacific, in line with GEDSI principles, addressing key themes such as gender equality, demographic shifts, and disability inclusion.    Resources: Publication | Unlocking Potential: How Social Protection Can Improve Disadvantaged Children’s Foundational Cognitive Skills  Publication | Weathering the Storm: Climate Shocks Threaten Children’s Skills and Learning But Social Protection Can Mitigate Impact  Publication | A Call to Action to expand social protection and care systems and promote decent work to address child poverty  Publication | Non-contributory Social Protection and Adolescents in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review of Government Programming and Impacts  Publication | Impacts and Design of Social Assistance for Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment and Well-Being in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What Works for Adolescent Girls  Publication | Systematic review of cash plus or bundled interventions targeting adolescents in Africa to reduce HIV risk  News | DSWD's ProtecTEEN program to address adolescent pregnancy  News | DSWD XI, CPD XI forge partnership on Social Protection and PopDev  Technical Brief | The Investment Case for the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy and Child Marriage in South-East Asia   Webinar | Global Evaluation of UNICEF work supporting expansion toward universal child benefits - cash plus programming strengthening adolescent and youth development, opportunities and empowerment In Good practices from Uganda and India  Website | Gender-Responsive Age-Sensitive Social Protection (GRASSP) project  Publication | Towards Gender-Responsive Social Protection: Evidence on policymaking, programme implementation and impacts for women and girls  Publication | A Cash Plus Model for Safe Transitions to a Healthy and Productive Adulthood: Round 4 Findings   

 Between 2015 and 2025, the number of displaced people worldwide nearly doubled. Today, more than 123 million people are forcibly displaced globally, including around 42 million refugees. Many of the countries that host refugees internationally are low- or middle-income, often lacking adequate social protection systems for their own citizens, let alone for displaced populations. As conflicts become increasingly protracted, displacement now lasts for years, or even decades, turning forced displacement from a short-term emergency into a long-term development challenge. Given this background, the episode explores how perspectives on forced displacement have evolved, shifting from a primarily humanitarian concern to a broader development issue. It examines how social protection systems can be expanded to better include refugees, and discusses the opportunities and challenges of approaches that bridge humanitarian and development responses within social protection frameworks. This month’s episode marks five years of the Social Protection Podcast. Over this time, the podcast has brought together voices from a wide range of institutions, countries, and perspectives to explore the evolving debates, policies, and practices shaping social protection worldwide. Since its launch, the podcast has released 70 episodes, including five special series, and reached thousands of listeners in over 180 countries. This milestone reflects the commitment of our guests and partners, as well as the dedicated work of the socialprotection.org team and its collaborators. And, of course, to you, the listener: thank you for being part of this journey!    Meet our guests:   Mattia Polvanesi, Senior Social Protection Officer, UNHCR Pablo A. Acosta, Lead Economist for Social Protection and Global Lead for Migration, World Bank Group Sarah Hague, Senior Advisor and Global Coordinator, Economic and Social Policy Global Practice, UNICEF   For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Lauren Whitehead, Lead on Inclusive Social Protection and Gender, UNICEF, who shared key outcomes and takeaways from the Gender-Responsive Social Protection Symposium.     Resources: Website | 1951 Refugee Convention Publication | 2018 Global Compact on Refugees  Publication | Refugees and Social Assistance in Low- and middle-income Countries : A Review of Operational Experiences Publication | Responsibility Sharing and the Economic Participation of Refugees in Chad Publication | Leaving no one behind: Why social protection must include displaced people (not open access)  Publication | IMF World Economic Outlook  - A Critical Juncture amid Policy Shifts  Publication | The Global Cost of Refugee Inclusion in Host Countries’ Health Systems: A Joint World Bank-UNHCR Report Publication | G20 Call to Action Towards Inclusive, Resilient, and Sustainable Development through Universal Social Protection Systems Publication | Tipsheets for applying the Common Principles for linking Humanitarian Assistance and Social Protection: Principle 9 Publication | Guiding Principles for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Social Protection

The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, launched under Brazil’s G20 Presidency in 2024, seeks to accelerate progress towards ending extreme poverty and hunger while tackling inequality. Bringing together over 200 members including governments, international organisations, and other partners, the Alliance aims to mobilise political commitment, align public and private financing, and promote evidence-based policy solutions that are country-led and centred on those most affected.  In this episode, we unpack the Alliance’s mandate and early achievements, explore how it supports countries in identifying needs and scaling proven policy instruments, and discuss what lies ahead as the Global Alliance moves from coordination to large-scale implementation.  Meet our guests:  Renato Domith Godinho, Director, Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty Support Mechanism  Kevin Watkins, Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics In our Quick Wins segment, we speak with Raphaël Duteau, Manager for AI and Data Ethics at Employment and Social Development Canada, about the opportunities Artificial Intelligence presents for social protection. He also shares insights on the AI Hub launched under the Digital Convergence Initiative.  References:  Resource | Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty  Resource | AI Hub  Webinar recording | The AI Hub for Social Protection - supporting responsible AI in social protection 

In this episode, we explore how TRANSFORM is being institutionalised as a core approach to continuous capacity building for social protection practitioners and leaders across Africa. The conversations focus on how the initiative has supported the development of rights-based, inclusive social protection systems and how its content and methodology are being embedded within training programmes to strengthen leadership and skills at national and decentralised levels. This episode also reflects on the future of TRANSFORM in the context of shifting global dynamics, including changes in the official development assistance landscape. The episode concludes the three-part TRANSFORM Podcast Series, which presents the initiative's achievements 10 years since its inception through conversations with guests from the continent. In case you missed the prior episodes of the series, you can access them here:  Ep. 1 | Social Protection Capacity Building in Africa: 10 Years of TRANSFORM Ep. 2 | Promoting a Culture of Social Protection in Africa Hosted by Abidemi Coker, a passionate TRANSFORM Master Trainer. Meet our guests for episode 3: Patience Matandiko, Technical Officer - Social Protection, ILO Malawi Emmanuel Danjuma, National Programme Coordinator - Social Protection, ILO Nigeria Thokozani Mtapaonga, Principal, Magomero Community Development College, & Deputy Director in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Malawi For our testimonial segment, we welcome Samuel Kapingidza, Social Protection Specialist at the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa, and the TRANSFORM Advisory Group chairperson.   To learn more and explore how TRANSFORM can be tailored for your context and how you can get involved with the initiative, go to https://transformsp.org and contact [email protected].

In this episode, we explore how TRANSFORM has helped promote a ‘culture of social protection’ across Africa, shaping how civil servants approach their roles and how institutions adapt to address lifecycle challenges using TRANSFORM’s building-block methodology. The conversations highlight the initiative’s leadership effects and its influence at national and sub-national levels, while also examining how it has supported the integration of social protection into the priorities of the African regional bodies and governments. This is the second of the three-part TRANSFORM Podcast Series, which will present the initiative's achievements 10 years since its inception through conversations with guests from the continent. In case you missed the first episode of the TRANSFORM series, you can access it here: Ep. 1 | Social Protection Capacity Building in Africa: 10 Years of TRANSFORM Hosted by Abidemi Coker, a passionate TRANSFORM Master Trainer. Meet our guests for episode 2: Thebuho Kavubya, District Social Welfare Officer, Ministry of Community Development and Social Services of Zambia. Ivan Oscar Langa, Social Protection and Policy Specialist and a TRANSFORM Master Trainer from Mozambique. For our testimonial segment, we welcome Felix Mwenge, TRANSFORM Coordinator and the Technical Officer for TRANSFORM and Knowledge Management at the ILO Country Office for Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. To learn more and explore how TRANSFORM can be tailored to your own context and how you can get involved with the initiative, go to https://transformsp.org and contact [email protected].