The International Labour Organization (ILO) has recently published a report titled ‘World Social Protection Report 2020–22’, casting light on the situation of people living without any social safety net around the world. The report pinpoints that a total of 4.1 billion people worldwide are facing this predicament, while also emphasizing the lack of uniformity in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The ILO’s key role as a specialized agency of the United Nations is to unite governments, employers, and workers from 187 member states to create policies, set labor standards, and promote decent work for everyone.
Understanding Social Security
Social security is a broad system aimed at preventing deprivation and ensuring a basic minimum income for individuals and their dependents. It safeguards people against life uncertainties and includes healthcare access, income security measures relating to old age, unemployment, illness, disability, work injury, maternity, or loss of the primary income earner. It also provides additional support for families with children.
Key Findings of the ILO Report
The report reveals that in 2020, only 46.9% of the global population was protected by at least one form of social security. Persistent obstacles such as economic insecurity, chronic poverty, escalating inequality, extensive informality, and delicate social contracts have been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Regional Inequalities in Social Protection
From a regional perspective, Europe and Central Asia have the best coverage, with 84% of people protected by at least one benefit. Americas stand above the global average with 64.3% coverage, whereas Asia and the Pacific (44%), the Arab States (40%), and Africa (17.4%) fall behind with significant coverage gaps.
Variances in Social Security Expenditure
On average, countries allocate 12.9% of their GDP to social protection (excluding health), but this figure significantly varies across different income levels. High-income countries spend an average of 16.4%, upper-middle-income nations 8%, lower-middle-income countries 2.5%, and low-income countries just 1.1%.
Insufficient Protection to Vulnerable Groups
Globally, most children lack effective social security coverage as only one in four children (26.4%) receive a social protection benefit. Merely 45% of women with newborns obtain a cash maternity benefit, and only one person in three with severe disabilities (33.5%) worldwide is given a disability benefit.
Impediments to Healthcare Accessibility
Although progress has been made in increasing population coverage, accessing healthcare still poses several barriers in the forms of out-of-pocket payments for health services, physical distance, quality and acceptability of health services, long waiting times, and opportunity costs such as lost working time.
Social Security Initiatives of the Indian Government
In India, several initiatives have been launched to provide social security benefits, including Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY), National Health Policy 2017, Social Security Code 2020, Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM), Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), One Nation One Ration Card, Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The Path Forward
The report emphasizes that comprehensive and effective social protection is not only crucial for securing social justice and decent work but also for creating a resilient and sustainable future. Universal social protection and the realization of the human right to social security for everyone is foundational to obtaining social justice. Collective financing, broad risk-pooling, and rights-based entitlements are key conditions for supporting effective healthcare access for all in a responsive manner. There is a need for stronger links and better coordination between mechanisms for accessing medical care and income security to address health determinants more effectively.
