WUNRN
ILO – International Labour Organization
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_366206/lang--en/index.htm
MOTHERS & CHILDREN NEED MORE – NOT LESS – SOCIAL PROTECTION
As
several countries around the world prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, two new
ILO studies provide new global and country data that point to the urgent need
to increase social protection* for mothers and children.
* Social protection is defined by the ILO as the set of
public measures that a society provides for its members to protect them against
economic distress and hardship caused by the absence or a substantial reduction
of income from work because of illness, maternity, lack of employment,
disability, old age and others; access to health care; and the provision of
benefits for families with children. This concept of social protection (or
social security guarantees) aimed at reducing/preventing poverty and vulnerability
is reflected in various ILO standards, approved by countries.
07 May 2015 - GENEVA (ILO News) – The lack of access to
social protection* is still a reality for a large number of mothers and
children worldwide, according to two studies released by the International
Labour Organization (ILO).
The Social
protection for maternity: Key policy trends and statistics
report shows that only 36 per cent of employed women are legally entitled to
cash benefits during their maternity leave. In practice, however, maternity
leave legislation is not implemented effectively, so only 28 per cent of
working women are covered in case of maternity.
The study, Social
protection for children: key policy trends and statistics ,
also paints a worrying picture. It shows that while there has been an explosion
of small cash transfer schemes in recent years, there is also a considerable
gap with regard to the availability of adequate child and family benefits.
According to the study, 108 countries have specific child and family benefit
programmes rooted in legislation, but they often cover small groups.
“Around 800 women die from childbirth every day. In addition, 18,000 children
also pass away daily. The sad reality is that despite efforts carried out as
part of the Millennium Development Goals process, maternal and child mortality
rates in developing countries are still very high,” says Isabel Ortiz, Director
of the ILO Social Protection Department.
“Most
of these deaths are preventable with adequate social protection. Universal
maternal and child health care is key to reducing high mortality rates,
together with cash transfers to ensure adequate food, clothing, and access to
social services,” she adds.
Fiscal Adjustment
Reducing Social Protection for Mothers & Children
A
worrying trend is that in some countries the levels of maternity and child
protection benefits have dropped as a result of fiscal consolidation policies.
For example, several European countries have reduced the level of maternity and
child benefits or have limited the level of coverage.
“Fiscal consolidation and adjustment measures threaten progress on social
protection for children and their families,” says Ortiz. “Child poverty
increased in 18 of the 28 countries of the European Union between 2008 and
2013.”
Universal Coverage:
How Much Does It Cost?
On the other hand, several low- and middle-income
countries have either extended the duration of paid maternity leave or
introduced cash benefits for mothers and children. However, large coverage gaps
remain.
The reports look at a sample of 57 low- and lower middle-income countries and
show that introducing a basic universal maternity cash benefit would require,
on average, 0.41 per cent of national gross domestic product (GDP).
Meanwhile, having universal child benefits would, on average, require 1.9 per
cent of national GDP. The projected costs for a basic universal child benefit
vary greatly between countries, ranging from 5.2 per cent of GDP for Niger to
0.2 per cent of GDP for Guyana, considering that children constitute a large
proportion of the population in these countries.
The same variation applies to basic universal maternity protection, where it
ranges from less than 0.1 per cent of GDP in Bhutan, Guyana, India, Indonesia,
Mongolia, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam to 1.1 per cent of GDP in Niger.
“At a time when the world is discussing a post-2015 development agenda, it is
essential that the international community identifies financing sources for
social protection,” says Ortiz, recalling the ILO Social
Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202) .
“It is a question of choosing the right priorities: the total cost of universal
benefits to all pregnant women and all children in 57 lower income countries is
just 0.6 per cent of what G20 countries used to bail out the financial sector
in 2009,” concludes Ortiz.
The ILO Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202) reflects a consensus
among governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations from 185 countries
on the need to extend social security.
Both studies include detailed national data on maternity protection and child
and family benefits for 188 countries surveyed.