Publication: How Does Social Protection Impact Social Cohesion in the Sahel? A Review of Existing Evidence and Gaps
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2024-10-08
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2024-10-08
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In the Sahel, social protection programs have been proven to improve several outcomes for beneficiaries such as boosting consumption, productivity, resilience to climate change, as well as health and education of future generations. They also yield positive impacts on local economies, benefiting local communities beyond beneficiaries. Beyond economic impacts, programs that seek to address poverty and vulnerability, such as social protection interventions, have the potential to strengthen social cohesion. Untangling this relationship is essential to maximize these programs' positive impact and prevent potential unintended detrimental dynamics. This paper examines the current evidence base in the Sahel to identify what is known about the impact of social protection programs on social cohesion in the region, and what gaps in the evidence remain. The paper finds that social protection programs often improved social cohesion as reported by program beneficiaries, including more trust, cooperation for the common good, involvement in local associations, and a greater sense of inclusive identity. The sense of fairness and legitimacy of programs as perceived by non-beneficiaries varies by context. Finally, the selection of beneficiaries may result in social conflicts and tensions among community members, highlighting the importance of understanding the role of pre-existing contextual factors. In terms of evidence gaps, evidence of social protection programs' social cohesion impacts for non-beneficiaries are limited to few qualitative studies, which are not necessarily representative of the full programs. Also, most evidence exists around horizontal with-in community social cohesion, and there is a gap in the evidence base on impact on social cohesion between different communities (out-groups) and between citizens and state (vertical cohesion) in the Sahel.
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“Sharma, Ambika; Menke, Jan. 2024. How Does Social Protection Impact Social Cohesion in the Sahel? A Review of Existing Evidence and Gaps. SASPP Technical Paper Series; Special Edition. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/42232 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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