Thumbnail Image

FAO’s work on social protection

Contributing to zero hunger, poverty reduction and resilience in rural areas

Copyright licence

Year of publication 2019

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 28 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Booklet

Category Corporate general interest

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) This brochure highlights the important role that social protection has to play in addressing many of the barriers poor rural households face in building resilient and sustainable livelihoods. Despite progress in recent decades, 736 million people worldwide still live in extreme poverty. Most are in rural areas, possess few or no assets and depend on agriculture and the use of natural resources for their livelihoods. A number of programmes have demonstrated not only that social protection can have significant impacts on poverty, but also that even low-income countries can afford to provide it for their citizens, if they commit to doing so. FAO has positioned social protection as a major element in its efforts to reduce rural poverty, respond to climate change, promote resilient livelihoods and achieve Zero Hunger. Social protection spans the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development architecture, from eradicating poverty and reducing income inequality, to increasing social inclusion, promoting gender equality and improving access to health, education and water. FAO is firmly committed to supporting countries in extending and scaling up social protection in order to build a future that leaves no one behind.

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Manual / guide
    Introduction to gender-sensitive social protection programming to combat rural poverty: Why is it important and what does it mean? – FAO Technical Guide 1
    A Toolkit on gender-sensitive social protection programmes to combat rural poverty and hunger
    2018
    Also available in:
    Many social protection programmes, including cash transfers, public works programmes and asset transfers, target women as main beneficiaries or recipients of benefits. Extending social protection to rural populations has great potential for fostering rural women’s economic empowerment. However, to tap into this potential, more needs to be done. There is much scope for making social protection policies and programmes more gender sensitive and for better aligning them with agricultural and rural development policies to help address gender inequalities. Recognizing this potential and capitalizing on existing evidence, FAO seeks to enhance the contribution of social protection to gender equality and women’s empowerment by providing country-level support through capacity development, knowledge generation and programme support.To move forward this agenda, FAO has developed the Technical Guidance Toolkit on Gender-sensitive Social Protection Programmes to Combat Rural Poverty and Hunger. The Toolkit is designed to support SP and gender policy-makers and practitioners in their efforts to systematically apply a gender lens to SP programmes in ways that are in line with global agreements and FAO commitments to expand inclusive SP systems for rural populations. The Toolkit focuses on the role of SP in reducing gendered social inequalities, and rural poverty and hunger.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Manual / guide
    Integrating gender into the design of cash transfer and public works programmes – FAO Technical Guide 2
    A Toolkit on gender-sensitive social protection programmes to combat rural poverty and hunger
    2018
    Also available in:
    Many social protection programmes, including cash transfers, public works programmes and asset transfers, target women as main beneficiaries or recipients of benefits. Extending social protection to rural populations has great potential for fostering rural women’s economic empowerment. However, to tap into this potential, more needs to be done. There is much scope for making social protection policies and programmes more gender sensitive and for better aligning them with agricultural and rural development policies to help address gender inequalities. Recognizing this potential and capitalizing on existing evidence, FAO seeks to enhance the contribution of social protection to gender equality and women’s empowerment by providing country-level support through capacity development, knowledge generation and programme support.To move forward this agenda, FAO has developed the Technical Guidance Toolkit on Gender-sensitive Social Protection Programmes to Combat Rural Poverty and Hunger. The Toolkit is designed to support SP and gender policy-makers and practitioners in their efforts to systematically apply a gender lens to SP programmes in ways that are in line with global agreements and FAO commitments to expand inclusive SP systems for rural populations. The Toolkit focuses on the role of SP in reducing gendered social inequalities, and rural poverty and hunger.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Manual / guide
    Integrating gender into implementation and monitoring and evaluation of cash transfer and public works programmes – FAO Technical Guide 3
    A Toolkit on gender-sensitive social protection programmes to combat rural poverty and hunger
    2018
    Also available in:
    Many social protection programmes, including cash transfers, public works programmes and asset transfers, target women as main beneficiaries or recipients of benefits. Extending social protection to rural populations has great potential for fostering rural women’s economic empowerment. However, to tap into this potential, more needs to be done. There is much scope for making social protection policies and programmes more gender sensitive and for better aligning them with agricultural and rural development policies to help address gender inequalities. Recognizing this potential and capitalizing on existing evidence, FAO seeks to enhance the contribution of social protection to gender equality and women’s empowerment by providing country-level support through capacity development, knowledge generation and programme support.To move forward this agenda, FAO has developed the Technical Guidance Toolkit on Gender-sensitive Social Protection Programmes to Combat Rural Poverty and Hunger. The Toolkit is designed to support SP and gender policy-makers and practitioners in their efforts to systematically apply a gender lens to SP programmes in ways that are in line with global agreements and FAO commitments to expand inclusive SP systems for rural populations. The Toolkit focuses on the role of SP in reducing gendered social inequalities, and rural poverty and hunger.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    Picturing progress – Four betters in focus 2025
    Also available in:
    This commemorative volume marks the 80th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), tracing its journey from a founding conviction – that hunger is not inevitable – to today’s global mission of transforming agrifood systems. Through a rich collection of photographs and narratives, the book illustrates how FAO works alongside farmers, fishers, scientists, governments, Indigenous Peoples, youth and civil society to advance sustainable solutions that nourish both people and planet.Organized around FAO’s vision of the four betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life – the book highlights concrete progress: from regenerative farming and climate-smart livestock, to school feeding programmes, land restoration and inclusive digital innovation. It reflects on both the challenges and the opportunities facing agrifood systems, including climate volatility, conflict and inequality, while showing how collaboration, knowledge and innovation create pathways for resilience and hope.Arriving at a moment of reflection and renewal, this volume is both tribute and testimony: to the millions of people whose daily efforts sustain our world, and to FAO’s enduring commitment to building sustainable, inclusive and equitable agrifood systems that leave no one behind.
  • No Thumbnail Available
  • Thumbnail Image
Show more