Hi,
Here is your grade and specific revisions for the final. Remember that the final is graded on the changes that you make (especially according to these suggestions), so please check in with me if you have any doubts about the comments on the first page or in the margins.
Thanks for all the awesome work you’ve done so far!
Thesis 17/20
Organization 18 /20
Writing 16/20
References 16/20
You have made some fantastic progress with a good draft and an excellent basis for your final paper. You have brought together useful, challenging sources. Your writing is clear and well-structured and your examples are interesting. There are a few things you can work on to keep or improve your grade for the final.
- Outlining Paragraph: Make sure you include the paragraph at the end of the introductory section that sets out the rest of your sections in a way that illustrates how each section is necessary to help you prove your thesis. Then, introduce each section in a way that reminds me why it is necessary and how it helps to prove your thesis.
- References (many more): You have some good sources and some citation, but you need much more. Use APA citation (Kabeer, 2008), and if you cite the same author three times in a row, you need to find another author to fit in the paragraph. Remember that you need to cite every fact, idea, finding, or perspective that you get from your sources. A research paper is about synthesizing the research, so you should not have more than a couple of sentences in a row without citation in the main body of your paper.
- Writing (paragraph/section length): A paragraph should be about 150-250 words. A section should be 3-5 paragraphs. It’s ok if it helps you to write with titles above each couple of sentences, but in your final paper, you need to explain those. Turn each subtitle into a sentence that begins your paragraph. Then, use 2-3 citations in that same paragraph to explain the point.
You have done really great work and made tons of progress so far. I can’t wait for the final!
Gender and Development: Provision of Social Protection as a Basic Service
- Introduction
Social security/ protection is the presence of policies set by the government and other organizations that focus on the management, prevention and overcoming situations affecting the welfare of the society. Social security policies aim at reducing vulnerability and poverty through the creation of an efficient labor market that reduces the people's exposure to risk. Additionally, the policies increase people's capacity to manage social and economic risks, such as exclusion, disability and diseases among others. The provision of social security as a basic service improves the living conditions of society. This paper will argue that introduction of social securities and protection in the social life and in the labor market in particular is an essential component of people’s welfare improvement, because it allows for achieving the gender balance in the job sector and bring major benefits to the society and the state as a whole.
Social security is a policy approach that aims to integrate social security and poverty reduction concerns. The social security agenda has focused so much on the poor, excluded and vulnerable social groups differentiated according to age, health and their relationship to the labor market (Kabeer, 2008). As a result, women as a marginalized group have been left out of these important policies. In that accord, social security programs are gender insensitive and poorly designed to counter gender inequalities. Some countries do not consider the important role of social security (Hickey, 2010). Poor wages that cannot support the workers characterize the labor market of some countries. There are flaws in the labor market that perpetrate gender imbalances and discrimination. Consequently, the public device aims at developing their economy and improve their living standards (Kabeer, 2008).
- Gendered consequences of social security policies
Gendered consequences represents such constraints as the societal norms and practices that apply to men and women by the virtue of their gender (Kabeer, 2008). These constraints restrict participation in the household livelihood activities and the labor market. However, some of them are the result of women’s biological role in reproduction (Beblavý, Thum & Veselkova, 2013). These inequalities lie among household members reflecting norms and customs on the distribution of health care and access to resources.
Gender-intensified constraints reflect inequalities in opportunities and resources (Kabeer, 2008). Customary and community standards, such as inheritance, access to property and the ascribed discrimination, influence these constraints. They include income shocks, price shocks and shocks to labor demand (Kanbur, 2014). They represent the restraints that result from forms of gender disadvantage reflected in the wider public domain. Constraints consist of bias from resource allocation from those outside the household or the community, thus demonstrating discrimination (Kabeer, 2008). They are informal cultural beliefs in institutions, such as stereotypical gender roles in recruitment and membership procedures that exclude women.
These constraints promote disproportional representation of girls and women among the poor (Giovannetti et al., 2011). In addition to limiting women’s access to the labor market, the restrictions confine working women into poorly remunerated, casual and insecure forms of wage earning and self-employment in the informal sector (Kabeer, 2008). There is a need for gender-sensitive social security program to protect women from physical insecurity, pervasive poverty and human rights violation.
Gender inequality is the unequal treatment or prejudice of individual based on their gender (Drolet, 2014). Gender-specific, imposed and intensified constraints contribute to unequal treatment of men and women. Gender roles and stereotypes in the workplace hinder women’s development in the job place, as well as block their entrance in the labor market (Kabeer, 2008). Traditional roles assigned to women give them limited chances of breaking into the paid labor market. Women have little or no access to and control of resources, as a result, they experience economic alienation and their ability for financial liberty is curtailed.
Because of macro and micro gender constraints, social policies exclude women (Kanbur, 2014). Discrimination against women by men curtails their involvement in the formulation of policies. As a result, formulated policies are biased, gender-insensitive and gender-exclusive (Kabeer, 2008). These policies exclude women and, therefore, are non-reflective to social equity measures, social insurance, social assistance programs and other social service policies, such as pension. Women’s vulnerability increases, when the legislation and policies do not protect them or put their interests into considerations.
The constraints hinder women’s access to better social services such as health care and insurance (Beblavý, Thum & Veselkova, 2013). As a result, women become vulnerable to reproduction-related conditions, legislation protecting their employment during pregnancy and lack of primary health care. Women, therefore, are exposed to inappropriate conditions that impede their health development (Luttrell & Moser, 2004). Biased retirement benefit and pension scheme delays and confines women within the bracket of the marginalized poor. Inappropriate employment security and biased legislation of labor due to the gender-insensitive social security policies restrain women into poverty (Kanbur, 2014).
The constraints have more advanced effect on women, than the visible face value. The constraints hinder women’s access to fundamental inputs necessary for their preparation to join the work force (Drolet, 2014). Some of these constraints include time, access to infrastructure, limited access to education and training, family and household duties, childcare and unsuitable working condition as defined by the biological makeup. Lack of access to these foundational factors affect their involvement in the labor force and hinders their participation in the waged labor (Camfield, 2014).
Human rights violation affects women's social, political and economic liberation. Confinement of women in poor status blocks their prosperity (Sweetman, 2011). The hardship and mental torture resulting from human rights violation causes psychological stress that affects women and their household. Females lack adequate approaches to liberate themselves from poverty due to denial of their rights.
Gender equality is a strategy that aims at ensuring equal treatment and perception of men and women (Pattenden, 2011). The taken approach involves a dual or twin-track method focusing on both genders. Gender mainstreaming is an important approach of ensuring gender equality (Camfield, 2014). It involves integration of a gender perspective in every stage of policy formulation or implementation. It concerns the relationship of women and men for their benefits. The approach aims at dealing with specific gender inequalities identified through gender analysis and mainstreaming (Drolet, 2014).
Social security has complex effects on girls. Households’ participation in social security benefits girls in their education and later lives. They can have improved access to the basic factors that prepare their assimilation in the paid labor force (Camfield, 2014). Additionally, they receive better access to education and resources that increase their chances for economic prosperity and liberation.
- Social security in developing countries
The feasibility of the social security development is high in the developing countries (Hickey, 2010). It results from the recognition of the importance of the social protecting in the society. As a result, many countries in the least developed regions are embracing this approach to solve their social issues, such as gender inequality (Camfield, 2014). For example, in Africa, there is the African Union’s Social Policy framework that entails social security and recommendation on how to strengthen national and regional policies (Hickey, 2010).
Developing countries face three major impediments in the implementation of the social security scheme (Camfield, 2014). These constraints are financial resources, policy design and implementation details, as well as political and economic factors. At the same time, there are major benefits that would accrue if they adapt the plan to the society (Adesina, 2011). The first of them is the improved lifestyle. In particular, the plan would increase the number of household members making for a living (Pineda-Ofreneo, 2014). As a result, the household income would increase as the national economy grows. In the long run, the living standards will increase as well (Adesina, 2011).
The second benefit of the plan adoption is development of equality is different spheres of life. Thus, there will be possible participation of women in the labor force, their access to education, health care and resources, creating a stable and equal society without discrimination (Kabur, 2014). This will bring about the additional benefit of reduced vulnerability of different society members. Equality in the community empowers the marginalized groups, such as women (Adesina, 2011). Their empowerment means a decrease in their vulnerability level.
Such a development will allow society to witness reduced level of poverty. Women’s access to employment, education and resources stimulates economic growth of an individual and the state (Camfield, 2014). As a result, the level of poverty reduces and people receive access to the social insurance. Women and the poor have little or no access to insurance services in the majority of developing countries (Hickey, 2014). However, through social protection, women will have an access to community-based insurance in health.
Adoption of the social protection plan will also have considerable benefits for the state (Adesina, 2011). The first and most important of them is the growth of the economy. The scheme increases the number of people in the working and taxable category. As a result, the government revenue increases (Adesina, 2011). Household income increases are allowing the household to access more goods and services. Likewise, the government can provide better services resulting in economic growth.
This change will also bring about increase in the labor market efficiency (Devereux, McGregor & Sabates‐Wheeler, 2011). Increased number of workers makes the production of goods more efficient. In that accord, the labor market also becomes more efficient and productive. Provision for social support is another important benefit. When the state is economically empowered, it can provide social services and social support to the poor and vulnerable people (Adesina, 2011). The inclusion of women into the social policies increases the state revenue providing sufficient funds for social assistance programs.
- The role of social security in labor market
Labor market interventions are essential in promoting employment of people of all genders (Barrientos & Scott, 2008). Direct labor market intervention by the government increases the employment of the entire society. There is a positive embracement of the implemented policies increasing women’s participation in the paid labor (Adema, Fron & Ladaique, 2014). Other interventions, such as the provision of training and reallocation of resources promote the participation of both genders in the labor market.
Government regulations and laws that ensure equality in the labor market include laws on equal pay and equal opportunities in the market (Barrientos & Scott, 2008). Laws against sexual assault and harassment, as well as gender stereotyping, improve the equality between men and women in the workplace.
Gender inequalities in the labor market affect women more than men, despite the insistence on equal employment opportunities and implementation of related policies. In that accord, women occupy less senior positions compared to men (Kabeer, 2008). Women get employment opportunities in the poorly paying public sector in health, education and social services as their major fields. On the other hand, men, occupy better paying managerial jobs in the private sectors (Drolet, 2014). These differences increase the gap in their remuneration.
Social protection promotes the efficiency of the labor market by ensuring that there is a high number of workers to meet the production demands (Adesina, 2011). Social protection ensures there is economic and social feasibility through the provision of the ability for the unemployed to find jobs and improving productive employment.
- Conclusion
Most social security schemes target those in the formal employment. As a result, the social security schemes leave out women in the informal employment sector. Development and promotion of the social security policies promotes women participation in paid labor. Therefore, they become financially empowered, liberating themselves and their household. Additionally, the state yields more revenues from the increased taxable workers. The formulation and implementation of policies that support women participation in waged labor is important. The government should enact laws and regulations that support women participation in waged labor by eliminating customary stereotypes and discrimination that hinder women’s involvement in the labor market. Eliminating gender inequality and stereotypes is a crucial step in achieving women’s liberation. The government should be in the front line in the advocacy of gender equality and the implementation of better social security schemes that are gender-sensitive and gender-inclusive.
Referenes
Adema, W., Fron, P., & Ladaique, M. (2014). How much do OECD countries spend on social protection and how redistributive are their tax/benefit systems? International Social Security Review, 67(1), 1-25.
Adesina, J. O. (2011). Beyond the social protection paradigm: social policy in Africa's development. Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 32(4), 454-470.
Barrientos, A. & Scott, J. (2008). Social Transfers and Growth: A Review. Manchester: Brooks World Poverty Institute.
Beblavý, M., Thum, A. E., & Veselkova, M. (2013). Education and social protection policies in OECD countries: Social stratification and policy intervention. Journal of European Social Policy, 23(5), 487-503.
Camfield, L. (2014). Growing Up in Ethiopia and Andhra Pradesh: The Impact of Social Protection Schemes on Girls’ Roles and Responsibilities. European Journal of Development Research, 26(1), 107-123.
Devereux, S., McGregor, J. A., & Sabates‐Wheeler, R. (2011). Introduction: Social protection for social justice. IDS Bulletin, 42(6), 1-9.
Drolet, J. L. (2014). Adaptive Social Protection. In Social Protection and Social Development (pp. 35-49). Netherlands: Springer Publishers.
Giovannetti, G., de Haan, A., Sabates-Wheeler, R., & Sanfilippo, M. (2011). Successes in social protection: what lessons can be learned?. Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 32(4), 439-453.
Hickey, S. (2010). The politics of social protection in Africa: what do we get from a social contract approach? Background paper for European Report on Development.
Kabeer, N. (2008). Mainstreaming Gender in Social Protection for the Informal Economy. London: Commonwealth Secretariat.
Kanbur, R. (2014). Social Protection. Towards Human Development: New Approaches to Macroeconomics and Inequality, 86.
Luttrell, C. & Moser, C. (2004). Gender and Social Protection. London: Overseas Development Institute.
Pattenden, J. (2011). Social protection and class relations: Evidence from scheduled caste women's associations in rural South India. Development and Change, 42(2), 469-498.
Pineda-Ofreneo, R. (2014). Addressing the Social Dimensions of Climate Change through Adaptive Social Protection. Philippine Journal of Social Development, 3.
Sweetman, C. (2011). Introduction: Special Issue on Social Protection. Gender and Development,19(2): 169-177.
