As Lebanon enters its third year of multilayered crises, including socio-economic collapse, the majority of the population is pushed into pauperism and vulnerability amidst an absence of universal social security and protection.
Indeed, prior to the crisis, at least one third of the workforce was already excluded from any form of social protection.
“An intersectional perspective on social (in)security. Making the case for universal social protection in Lebanon”
Policy Brief | Social Protection | Lebanon
The Policy Brief below analyses the shortcomings of the social protection system in Lebanon against intersectional forms of discrimination and exclusionary logics linked to gender, ethnicity, work and residential status, age, or disability.
It questions the fragmentation and the limitations of the social protection system, arguing that they reflect, sustain, and (re)produce systemic social hierarchies characterizing the Lebanese social and political landscape. This brief makes the case for a universal and rights-based social security scheme, and proposes targeted recommendations for the state, the donor community and international NGOs, and local civil society.
This brief is published in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).
Read the brief
“Can Ration Cards Save Lebanon’s Poor Without Universal Social Security?”
Infographic | Social Protection | Lebanon
While times of crises can constitute an opportunity to push towards more rights-based and comprehensive social policies, the only programmes proposed to mitigate the impact of the ongoing crises have centered around mere assistance, and reproduced existing charitable and piecemeal approaches.
This infographic provides an overview of the Ration Cards Program targeting poor and vulnerable households to provide them with financial assistance. It illustrates the eligibility criteria to benefit from this programme, their inherent limitations and exclusions, which render it as hardly a short-term fix. More importantly, the infographic calls for a broader social security framework that is inclusive, rights-based, and sustainable.
This infographic was developed in partnership with the Inclusive Social Security Policy Forum MENA (ISSPF MENA)
View the infographic
