The Inclusive Social Security Forum MENA, Institute of Political Science at the Université Saint Joseph, Beirut, and the Centre of Social Sciences Research and Action hosted the full day hybrid event “Shifting The Paradigm. Towards inclusive and fair social protection making in Lebanon” on 18 November 2021. This event was part of the ISSPF Signature Event. The day was divided into 2 panels and a workshop, and moderated by Mr. Adib Nehme (Arab NGO Network for Development).
Dr. Rana Jawad (University of Bath) and Dr. Jamil Mouawad (American University of Beirut/ Arab Reform Initiative) spoke during the introductory panel “Locating social protection in social policy making in Lebanon”. In her intervention, Dr. Jawad presented a life course approach to social policy and compared the latter’s discourse in the region to others in the world.
“A discourse of ""weak state"" is now coupled with that of a ""no state policy"" in Lebanon. The current context of collapse, however, is also that of state formation which is important for social protection”, Dr. Mouawad stated. In his opinion, the international community and international donors played a part in the structural collapse by supporting the current systems and programmes, concluding with the following statement:”inclusive social protection cannot be achieved in disconnect from freedoms”.
Dr. Nora Abou Shady (Cairo University), Ms. Rania Eghnatios (International Labor Organisation), Mr. Ziad Abdel Samad (Arab NGO Network for Development), and Dr. Michele Scala (Centre for Social Sciences Research and Action) intervened during the second panel “Lebanon’s fragmented social protection system”. Dr. Abou Shady presented data on vulnerability in Lebanon, she considered that its “social security system is based on a list of fragmented benefits creating gaps and gender asymmetries”.
Ms. Rania Eghnatios pointed out that social protection spending in Lebanon is inefficient and inequitable and stressed the need to introduce a broad tax-financed non-contributory social protection floor in the country. Mr. Abdel Samad built on previous interventions highlighting the fact that all of the social protection programmes in the country cover less than 50% of the population. “We have to support public services as lack of access to these leads to poverty increase”, Abdel Samad said. Dr. Scala focused on the Informal labor force:”The social security system of structural informal labour force, exclusionary regulations and social protection schemes deepen social and economic hierarchies and inequalities in Lebanon”.
During the afternoon workshop the speakers and attendees discussed ways to put social policy on the public agenda.
Watch the first panel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1IO8_Fk6NQ
Watch the second panel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWbqR-V3Qa0
