The Role of Indigenous Social Protection in Protecting Children: Lessons from Africa

Abstract

Social protection is a fundamental social risk management strategy that supports social and human development and increases people's opportunities whilst reducing risks, shocks and vulnerabilities. It plays a fundamental role in strengthening the resilience of children, families and communities, and the achievement of greater equity and human rights. In as much as social protection is critical in cushioning children from poverty and its attendant effects in childhood, it is evident that many children are excluded from formal social protection coverage. Considering this, the chapter examines the application of indigenous social protection programmes to child protection. It proposes that social programmes be culturally sensitive to child protection issues and not be a mere add on to formal social protection programmes but have fundamental components that ensure sustainability, greater reach and maximum impact of the interventions. The chapter further argues for the undocumented benefits that address the vulnerabilities of children and the positive role of indigenous systems that are rarely measured or acknowledged. However, it should be noted that this study, based as it is on a desk review of relevant literature, is far from being comprehensive. Nonetheless, it provides a preliminary analysis demonstrating the clear connections and synergies between indigenous social protection measures and child protection concerns. Further, it provides recommendations on how their reach could be enhanced in tackling the multi-dimensionality of children's vulnerabilities. This is critical in realising the prospects of indigenous social protection as a crucial element of over-arching formal child protection systems in resource-constrained African contexts.