View article

The problems of acute and lasting poverty have long been recognised. There has recently been a significant increase in interest in social protection strategies to assist those who are unable to raise sufficient from their livelihood to address their basic needs. Nevertheless, there remain considerable problems in implementing and financing such schemes. Notable issues include the difficulties of targeting and the issue of financing particularly for the poorest countries. However, even if such problems can be overcome, it is evident from existing experiences that such assistance does not necessarily solve the problem of chronic poverty and social exclusion. The social protection schemes in the North offer basic material support but do little to empower the poor to improve their situation and secure a greater range of development options. They are focussed on addressing monetary poverty. A further question is whether …