SocialProtection.org Webinar (28 July) Expanding social insurance for agricultural workers in Middle East and North Africa countries

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Expanding social insurance for agricultural workers in Middle East and North Africa countries: Identifying key constraints and discussing policy options

https://socialprotection.org/learn/webinars/expanding-social-insurance-…

Organisers: 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO

International Labour Organization, ILO

International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth, IPC-IG

[English]

Compared to urban populations, rural populations often have more limited access to comprehensive social protection. One of the main gaps of social protection systems in low- and middle-income countries remains the limited coverage of contributory schemes among agricultural workers, especially in regions where the agricultural sector is essential for livelihoods, such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region [1]. 

Countries in the region have been discussing reforms of their social protection systems, including options to extend the coverage of contributory schemes to workers who have been traditionally excluded, such as those in the agricultural sector. Aligned with these efforts, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAO RNE), the International Labour Organization Regional Office for Arab States (ILO ROAS), and the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) joined forces to produce three policy-oriented reports:

1. The role of social insurance schemes in addressing the risks faced by agricultural workers in the Middle East and North Africa 
2. Financing social insurance schemes for agricultural workers in the Middle East and North Africa
3. Administrative barriers and capacity constraints hindering the inclusion of agricultural workers in social insurance schemes in the Middle East and North Africa 

The reports are informed by a literature review and a regional consultative process including two stakeholder workshops and fifteen semi-structured key informant interviews with representatives of agricultural workers. The webinar will present the main results of the research and the best practices for expanding social insurance for agricultural workers observed in the MENA region and other low- and middle-income countries. The webinar intends to engage government representatives with the main results and the possibilities of extending social insurance schemes in the region.

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