Resources

Inclusive social protection

What can be done to improve social protection for people with disabilities in the Pacific? P4SP’s recent study on Financing Social Protection in the Pacific and Timor-Leste looks at government investment in the region and explores how some disadvantaged groups are being protected. 

Our blog by Charles Knox-Vydmanov and Alexandre Cote discusses how Pacific Island countries are working to create social protection systems that are inclusive of people with disabilities

Social Protection in the Cook Islands: A Case Study

Over 90 per cent of Cook Islanders benefit from the Government's Social Protection system, which has helped reduce poverty across the country by over half since it was introduced in 1965. Our P4SP researchers have reviewed how the Cook Islands’ Social Protection programs and policies have worked to achieve these impressive results.

A case for investing in social protection today: Cook Islands

The Cook Islands has a mature social protection system that includes universal benefits like child allowances and old-age pensions, as well as means-tested support for those facing hardship. It has drastically reduced poverty and increased equality across the country, so how can other Pacific island countries build on the Cook Islands’ experience to strengthen their own social protection systems? 

Protecting Women’s Futures

How can universal old age pensions promote greater gender equality? And what can we learn from the Pacific’s approach to social protection for older people? In recent decades, several countries across the Pacific and Timor-Leste have established government-financed universal old age pensions. In doing so, they are making important progress towards offsetting some of the lifelong impacts of gender inequality on women’s economic security.

Financing social protection in Pacific Island Countries and Timor-Leste

What can we learn from historical data of social protection financing to improve outcomes for communities in the Pacific and Timor-Leste? This paper provides a comprehensive study on social protection financing in Pacific Island Countries and Timor-Leste, covering their expenditure size, composition, and historical evolution. It aims to aid analysis of this financing for decision-making purposes. The report identifies challenges and opportunities in financing social protection programs and emphasises the need for innovative financing mechanisms and an increased government commitment.