Social protection in the form of safety nets can take two forms: promotion (ladders out of poverty) and protection (survival). Donors in Dhaka spearheaded a large advocacy campaign to reform the social protection agenda. Shiree supported this through research and evidence of the needs of the poorest. However, most of Shiree’s social protection advocacy took place on a local level rather than national policy level.
On the local level, Shiree advocated for social protection (safety nets) for its poorest beneficiaries – those who are disabled, elderly and widowed. While 100% of our beneficiaries are entitled to government safety nets, due to their poverty level (bottom 5% of the population!), our CMS data indicates that only on average 13% receive any support.
To bring more of our beneficiaries under the social protection umbrella of the Government, we worked with the following groups:
As such, Shiree has organised several NGO (field officer) training sessions and district level advocacy events. The initiative has been very successful.