Inclusion and Resilience : The Way Forward for Social Safety Nets in MENA

Inclusion and Resilience : The Way Forward for Social Safety Nets in MENA

The Arab Spring and subsequent transitions provide opportunities for better governance, economies free of cronyism and more inclusive models of growth. Social Safety Nets (SSN) will be a key component of building more inclusive economies and societies. And here too there are grounds for optimism. Most SSN programs around the world were introduced during transition periods (post-Soviet independence, Indonesia's decentralization, and regime change in Brazil and Portugal), and have remained in place since. Effective SSNs can break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by helping families to keep children healthy and in school. SSNs and increased social services can also deal with spatial pockets of poverty in slums and rural areas by promoting the demand for social services and by building community assets. Most SSNs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA SSNs) finance energy subsidies, crowding out more effective intervention. In addition to surveys, this study conducted a behavioral experiment among a representative sample of the Jordanian middle class, collecting information on preferences for redistribution to the poor using valuable trade-offs.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Levin, Victoria, Silva, Joana, Morgandi, Matteo
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012-09
Subjects:ACCOUNTABILITY, ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, BENEFICIARIES, CAPITAL ACCUMULATION, CASH TRANSFER PROGRAM, CASH TRANSFERS, CHRONIC POVERTY, COMMUNITY ASSETS, CORRUPTION, COST OF FOOD, CROWDING OUT, ECONOMIC CRISIS, EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS, ENERGY SUBSIDIES, EVALUATION RESULTS, FOOD SUBSIDIES, GDP, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, INCOME, INCOME QUINTILE, INCOME SUPPORT, INEQUALITY, INSURANCE, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION, INTERVENTIONS, LABOR MARKET, LEARNING, MALNUTRITION, NATIONAL POVERTY, NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION, POLITICAL ECONOMY, POOR, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY, POWER PARITY, PRICE SUBSIDIES, PURCHASING POWER, REGIME CHANGE, REGRESSIVE SUBSIDIES, RURAL AREAS, SAFETY NET, SAFETY NET SYSTEMS, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SERVICE DELIVERY, SMART CARDS, SOCIAL PROTECTION, SOCIAL SAFETY NETS, SSN, TARGETING, TRANSFER PROGRAMS, TRANSPARENCY, UNEMPLOYMENT, VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS, WORKFARE PROGRAMS,
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/09/16795746/inclusion-resilience-way-forward-social-safety-nets-mena
https://hdl.handle.net/10986/16157
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Summary:The Arab Spring and subsequent transitions provide opportunities for better governance, economies free of cronyism and more inclusive models of growth. Social Safety Nets (SSN) will be a key component of building more inclusive economies and societies. And here too there are grounds for optimism. Most SSN programs around the world were introduced during transition periods (post-Soviet independence, Indonesia's decentralization, and regime change in Brazil and Portugal), and have remained in place since. Effective SSNs can break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by helping families to keep children healthy and in school. SSNs and increased social services can also deal with spatial pockets of poverty in slums and rural areas by promoting the demand for social services and by building community assets. Most SSNs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA SSNs) finance energy subsidies, crowding out more effective intervention. In addition to surveys, this study conducted a behavioral experiment among a representative sample of the Jordanian middle class, collecting information on preferences for redistribution to the poor using valuable trade-offs.

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