As we navigate the long-term economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, improved social protection systems are vital to addressing food insecurity, poverty, and gender inequality. According to the World Bank, “Social protection systems help individuals and families, especially the poor and vulnerable, cope with crises and shocks, find jobs, improve productivity, invest in the health and education of their children, and protect the aging population.”
USAID CATALYZE designs blended finance solutions to support social protection programs and improve access to financial and social protection for women and girls, as many women are employed in industries characterized by precarious employment arrangements. In partnership with the private sector, USAID Missions, government partners and local organizations, USAID CATALYZE co-designs, tests, and implements scalable social protection activities that build the resilience of vulnerable populations who live in, or at risk of, crisis caused by conflict, political and economic instability, or environmental fragility.