Publication: Inclusion and Resilience : The Way Forward for Social Safety Nets in MENA
Date
2012-09
ISSN
Published
2012-09
Author(s)
Abstract
The Arab Spring and subsequent
transitions provide opportunities for better governance,
economies free of cronyism and more inclusive models of
growth. Social Safety Nets (SSN) will be a key component of
building more inclusive economies and societies. And here
too there are grounds for optimism. Most SSN programs around
the world were introduced during transition periods
(post-Soviet independence, Indonesia's
decentralization, and regime change in Brazil and Portugal),
and have remained in place since. Effective SSNs can break
the cycle of intergenerational poverty by helping families
to keep children healthy and in school. SSNs and increased
social services can also deal with spatial pockets of
poverty in slums and rural areas by promoting the demand for
social services and by building community assets. Most SSNs
in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA SSNs) finance
energy subsidies, crowding out more effective intervention.
In addition to surveys, this study conducted a behavioral
experiment among a representative sample of the Jordanian
middle class, collecting information on preferences for
redistribution to the poor using valuable trade-offs.
Citation
“Silva, Joana; Levin, Victoria; Morgandi, Matteo. 2012. Inclusion and Resilience : The Way Forward for Social Safety Nets in MENA. MENA Knowledge and Learning Quick Notes Series;No. 71. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16157 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”