Full Description
This concise and interdisciplinary open access volume explores the imperative of social policy reform in Sub-Saharan Africa and the potential nature of such a reform. Its chapters study social policy changes that have been made before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those that need to be made towards better protecting individuals, families, and communities against exposure to insecurity, poverty, and other vulnerabilities throughout their lifecycle. As argued, for this to happen, the state needs to play a pivotal role in building harmonised and coordinated social policy systems. The chapters also stress the need for a holistic social policy reform that spans key areas including health, education, disability, gender, and migration policies. Besides this, the volume considers the role of automatic stabilisers and novel issues such as the impact of social media. Finally, the volume draws our attention to the respective roles of state actors, national non-state actors, and transnational actors.
Contents
1. Introduction: Reconsidering Social Policy Reform in Africa.- 2. The Moral Politics of Need in Southern Africa.- 3. Automatic Stabilizers and Social Protection.- 4. The Need for Transformative and Equitable Health Policy.- 5. Persons with Disabilities and Social Policy.- 6. Navigating the Terrain of Education in Post-COVID-19 Era.- 7. The Role of Transnational Actors in African Social Policy.- 8. Gender and Social Policy in Africa.- 9. The Fate of Sub-Saharan Migrants and Refugees.- 10. The Politics of Socio-Economic Rights and Constitutionalism.- 11. Young People and Social Media for Social Change.- 12. Conclusion: The future of social policy reform in Sub-Saharan Africa.
