Towards improved child-sensitive social protection system in Peru. Lessons from the pandemic
Policy brief
- Available in:
- Español
- English
Highlights
The Peruvian State implemented a set of measures to serve vulnerable populations strongly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and restrictions. These measures include cash transfers, food vouchers, and different adaptations of existing social programs. This document addresses Peru’s shortcomings regarding: (i) socioeconomic information of the urban population (mainly), (ii) strategies to address urban poverty, (iii) financial inclusion, and (iv) the social protection system. As a result of these shortcomings, the State’s response was often fragmented and untimely.
In this context of a persisting pandemic with diminishing health impacts resulting from growing vaccination rates, it is vital to address these difficulties and identify the lessons this singular experience has left. This will help us provide recommendations on improving social protection and increasing its capacity to respond to stress and external shocks, but, above all, become childsensitive and offer proper protection for children. This is especially relevant since households with children and adolescents in Peru are more affected by poverty or at greater risk of falling into poverty, even more so nowadays, as confirmed by the 2020 figures of the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI).
About the study
This paper summarizes the results of a study conducted to analyze non-contributory social protection measures for children and adolescents, including measures directly targeting them or their households, adopted by the Peruvian Government to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. A mainly qualitative mixed methodology was used. Virtual interviews were held with experts, officials, and former officials directly involved in decisions and management. This was complemented with a descriptive statistical analysis of the impact of the pandemic on household income, the effect of cash transfers on poverty levels, and the scope of municipal food baskets and other types of food assistance and their impact on the Peruvian population, particularly children and adolescents.
