The Rise of Social Protection in Development: Progress, Pitfalls and Politics

The rise of social protection on the development agenda is now an established fact. The global financial and economic crisis since 2008 at least temporarily reinforced this, though 5 years later the emphasis seems to have shifted somewhat to so-called productive sectors and the potential of graduation out of social protection. This article reflects on the context in which this rise of social protection has taken place. It argues that reflection on the way approaches in international development practices are embedded in global politics is critical for the legitimacy and sustainability of progressive approaches. In particular, it is important that debates on social protection simultaneously keep an eye on the return of a developmentalist approach partly driven by the new international role of emerging economies, and ensure that the analysis of and advocacy for social protection are embedded in a broader notion of national policymaking in globalised contexts.