Social security and social protection. Fair systems for women in all sectors

General: Most workers in the world today have no form of social protection, aside from their ability to work and to save from their earnings. And the massive incorporation of women into the labour market in recent times has also called into question those social protection schemes such as social security which do exist. Most of the social security systems throughout the world were established when the proportion of women in the labour market was very low. Many were developed on the traditional family model, based on marriage where the man was the sole breadwinner and was fully integrated into the labour market, and where the woman was in charge of domestic work and raising children.

This view of family structure has changed significantly over the years, because of the important increase in the number of working women. To this must be added the changes which have occurred in the composition and size of families resulting from the increase in divorce, cohabitation and single-parent families - mostly headed by women - and from families with fewer children. There also have been radical shifts in values, particularly those which emphasize the importance of the individual and which demand full gender equality. These transformations have significant implications for social security and social protection which must now adjust to contemporary conditions.

The informal sector: Informal sector workers are among the most numerous of those without social protection, because they are excluded from state-sponsored and private programs, insurance in particular. And women workers in the informal sector are even more vulnerable to multiple risks, because of their dual roles both in the workplace and in the home, as well as their higher levels of social exclusion.

Social protection mechanisms are critical in ensuring that people have the ability to work and to work productively, that assets accumulated through the earnings of their labour are protected from various risks faced by the working population, and that those people not working have the means to retain or build their assets.

The large contribution of women to the economy remains mostly unrecognized by the state and the community, and is largely invisible in national and regional statistics. Women therefore remain highly susceptible to a continuing cycle of poverty. They have also traditionally been excluded from direct participation in the design of social security schemes, and are often the most affected because of their multiple burdens of economic, biological and social roles.

General: While traditional mechanisms of social protection exist (kinship ties, care by children, local credit sources and savings groups, etc.), these have not always proved to be effective. Research also shows that market forces alone cannot be expected to provide insurance for the poor even if the demand for it exists.

However, the state often cannot carry the full burden of effectively covering the entire population,and innovations need to be introduced into management and funding. Furthermore, state-sponsored social security and private social insurance schemes are known for their gender-biased benefits, which treat women as dependents and beneficiaries, and often address "feminine" concerns only through the provision of maternity benefits and/or maternal and child health care. It is relatively rare to find social insurance mechanisms which address the multiple roles of the working woman in a comprehensive way. Most do not treat her as an individual requiring specific types of insurance and flexibility in the design of insurance schemes, but consider her as part of a family unit with the man as breadwinner.

The informal sector: Employment-based social security schemes (where the employer and the state contribute some portion of their financial cost) suffer from a fundamental flaw vis-à-vis the informal sector. There is no clearly defined employer (most informal sector workers are casual wage workers or are self-employed) and where an employer exists (in the case of small enterprises, factories, contract work, etc.), the employer's contribution toward social protection for the employee is rarely legislated or enforceable.

Of significant concern is the growing "feminization" of different forms of labour, often the least protected in social legislation by governments, and therefore often the most exploited. Sordid examples have been found in highly informal markets, where contract and piece-work rates are prevalent, in export zones, and especially in home-based and largely "invisible" work. These workers have extremely long working hours, most often in very poor conditions and for a very low wage. Production and supply chains are highly fragmented, further complicating the role of legislation and the enforcement of social protection responsibilities, and particularly complicating the mechanism of financial support and contributory participation for such schemes, should they exist.

In industrialized countries: Significant progress has been achieved, in particular in the field of legislation aimed at equal treatment of men and women in social security schemes. In spite of this progress, however, there are still severe limitations in those schemes because of the large proportion of women working part-time, occasionally, in family enterprises or in the informal sector.

In countries in transition: As a consequence of economic restructuring, there has been a regression in social protection for women, specifically with regard to child care, health care and old-age pensions.

In developing countries: Progress has been modest and employment has grown in sectors not covered by social security, such as the informal sector and agriculture, in which a large percentage of workers are women. Furthermore, structural adjustment programmes applied in these countries have resulted in an increase in unemployment and poverty, touching women severely.

Although it would be desirable to introduce recognized social security rights for each member of the community, including non-salaried women or those who have had to interrupt their employment to raise their children, it is hardly likely that economic and financial conditions will make it possible to envisage this extension in full in the coming years. Therefore, transitional schemes will have to be designed, all the more so since different generations of women coexist who have not had the same opportunities of access to employment. In this perspective, close consideration should be given, particularly in the developing countries, to the possibility of establishing local, small-scale insurance schemes, such as less formal systems based on the already existing solidarity networks for women. This type of protection can often be more effective and adapted more easily to national circumstances, and to the informal sector.

While NGOs have been effective in addressing these needs, the overall problem requires state-sponsored legislation and schemes, as well as new designs and new forms of participation from the private sector. A successful example of the latter is that of theSelf-Employed Women's Association(SEWA) in India. It is one of the largest, comprehensive, contributory social insurance programs for informal sector women workers today. It is the largest scheme in India, presently insuring over 32,000 women workers and, significantly, was developed with initial government assistance.

The SEWA scheme has significant implications for social security financing and management for informal sector workers around the world. Its lessons and management style show a way forward for community and occupation-based programs in both developing and developed countries.

The STEP Unit (Strategies and Tools Against Social Exclusion and Poverty) of the ILO is also studying programs in other parts of the world, especially in Africa and Latin America, where institutions and financing mechanisms for the informal sector are considerably different, and other challenges exist.

The planned programme of the Department of Social Security is closely linked to one of the strategic objectives of the ILO, "To enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all." It will have a clear impact on development, because it will improve the employment conditions of a large part of the workforce outside of the formal sector. In addition, all of its activities will ensure that women have equal access to social protection and are not disadvantaged because of their domestic and child care responsibilities. The programme will be oriented toward these ends. The orientation and focus of the programme are briefly summarized here to serve as recommendations and potential guidelines for other organizations concerned with this important problem.

Orientation

Work for the suppression of all direct discriminatory provisions in social security legislation
Adapt solutions to each country in relation to the problem of reconciling gainful employment with family responsibilities
Develop mechanisms to cover the needs of low-income women, and expand assistance to the poorest through non-contributory arrangements, as a complement to traditional social security schemes

Focus

Analyze the social protection systems of member States to design measures to protect women from being rushed into inappropriate jobs

Analyze the factors which have contributed to the exclusion of the majority of workers from statutory social security coverage

Identify and analyze possible partnerships and alliances with local solidarity networks, civil societies, local governments, NGOs, private sector and international organizations, with the aim of extending social protection for both men and women

Provide technical assistance to countries in the implementation of non-traditional, innovative schemes

Improve social protection statistics; in particular, statistics disaggregated (i.e., broken down) by sex, in order to better understand women's needs

The ILO has also adopted Conventions dealing with various aspects of social security.

ILO Conventions on Social Security

Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (N° 102)
Equality of Treatment (Social Security) Convention, 1962 (No. 118)
Maintenance of Social Security Rights Convention, 1982 (No. 157)

The challenge remains to find an appropriate community-level approach which addresses equitable pooling of insurance risks, while also ensuring that the sustainability of the scheme is not endangered. Innovative financing mechanisms and a questioning of the uses of development assistance are required. While much of community insurance can be based on mechanisms of risk-pooling through solidarity and the role of the state, this does not exclude the participation of the private sector where suitable.

The integrated approach to social insurance has benefited NGOs, since linking banking schemes to insurance has increased membership in both programs - and significantly raised interest in union membership where available. The work of the STEP Unit, the Department of Social Security and other research and policy initiatives around the world have marked the beginning of a change in emphasis of governments, NGOs and international institutions. The requirements of all members of the labour force need to be addressed, especially those of informal sector workers which are usually neglected.

Perhaps most significantly, research studies have shown that poor workers are willing and able to pay for services which they see as relevant, efficient and sensitive to their needs, and where they can be directly involved in their design and effectiveness.

Gender! A Partnership of Equals
Geneve: International Labour Office, 2000. 115 p.

Social security and social protection
Fair systems for women in all sectors

Gender! A Partnership of Equals Geneve: International Labour Office, 2000. 115 p.

Social security and social protection Fair systems for women in all sectors

Gender! A Partnership of Equals
Geneve: International Labour Office, 2000. 115 p.

Social security and social protection
Fair systems for women in all sectors