The National Social Protection Policy Framework is a multisectoral document aiming to mitigate the weaknesses inherent in the country’s social protection system, including fragmentation and duplication, and enhance predictability, consistency, transparency, and accountability of the social protection system. Overall, the Policy framework aims at reducing extreme poverty through empowering and building resilience in poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged households. The Policy recognizes Zimbabwe’s commitment to poverty eradication as enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Sustainable Development Goals, and other international declarations which identify social protection as a basic human right. Key Policy Measures include (i) Social Assistance in four areas - education, health, poverty alleviation, and food security and nutrition - aiming to reduce poverty, vulnerability and inequality and enhance access to basic social services. It promotes education through school fee waivers, tertiary education support, and child labour prevention, while improving healthcare access through free services, HIV/AIDS prevention, and school feeding programmes. Poverty alleviation measures include social pensions, cash transfers, public works, and emergency assistance. Food security initiatives focus on school feeding, adequate food supplies, nutrition education, and dietary diversity; (ii) Social Insurance, to put in place the necessary measures to protect workers and their dependents in formal and informal employment against income loss due to various risks. It promotes inclusive coverage, expanded benefits such as medical care and maternity and paternity support, occupational pensions, portable benefits, and stronger regulation of social security schemes. It also supports worker rehabilitation, informal insurance schemes, and international cooperation to ensure benefit portability; (iii) Labour Market Interventions to reduce unemployment and improve job and income security, particularly among unemployed and underemployed people and school leavers. It promotes living wages, women’s participation in employment, skills training, entrepreneurship, microfinance, job placement services, and expanded public works programmes. It also seeks to strengthen rehabilitation, reform labour laws, and support the transition of informal businesses into the formal economy; (iv) Livelihoods Support Strategies to reduce poverty and vulnerability by creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for poor and vulnerable groups. It focuses on improving income generation, building self-reliance and resilience, supporting asset development, expanding access to microfinance and credit, strengthening food security, and providing emergency and disaster assistance. It also promotes vulnerability assessments and environmental protection to support sustainable livelihoods and build resilient households and communities; (v) Social Support and Care to improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities by providing protective and developmental services to vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, older persons, orphans, vulnerable children, and people affected by HIV/AIDS. It focuses on strengthening family and community-based care, protecting vulnerable groups’ rights, enhancing the capacity of social workers, and supporting organizations that provide welfare services.
Zimbabwe · 2016-01-01