In partnership with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), the Department of Social Development launches the Social Security Review Volume 2 (SSR 2) publication with the theme, Social security in the time of COVID-19.
The volume builds on the inaugural edition published in 2022, which was edited by HSRC researchers Ms Shirin Motala, Dr Tim Hart, and Mr Stewart Ngandu.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world witnessed unprecedented socio-economic disruptions, fundamentally challenging the resilience and inclusivity of social security systems globally. This second volume of the Social Security Review, themed Social Security in the Time of COVID-19, is a timely and critical contribution to the discourse on social protection in the face of large-scale socio-economic shocks, particularly in the context of developing countries such as South Africa. The Department of Social Development, with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), have curated a collection of insightful chapters that not only dissect the pandemic’s profound impact on vulnerable populations but also offer a forward-looking perspective on enhancing the resilience and inclusiveness of social security systems.
The SSR 2 publication features peer-reviewed chapters by independent authors and explores the intersections of the social security policy imperatives and the COVID-19 pandemic-induced crises which exacerbated the pre-existing challenges of poverty, inequality, and unemployment and affected everyone in different ways. This Volume is centred on the extension of social security coverage to vulnerable groups such as atypical and informal sector workers, migrant workers, unemployed working-age adults, institutional frameworks, the role of technology in social security and the creation of fiscal space to fund critical social security interventions.
This publication contributes to knowledge generation by providing thought leadership in changing the social security policy space and the legislative environment by institutionalising it as a reference resource.
The launch of the volume takes place today from 10am to 13h00.
Click here to watch the launch live.
