Financial inclusion and chronic poverty: access to savings and insurance services in Tanzania

This brief examines the current extent of financial inclusion in Tanzania – focusing particularly on the chronically poor – and also specifically on access to savings and insurance services. This is because of the increasing body of evidence about the role which the two services can play in helping households to escape poverty and, by implication, to manage shocks and build their resilience.

Authors: Lucy Scott and William Smith

Photo Credit: Panos Pictures

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Pro-poorest economic growth: Employment and social assistance contributions to the eradication of extreme poverty

This policy brief highlights the importance of making poverty eradication an overarching goal of the post 2015 process, with other goal areas such as employment, education and social assistance all making a contribution towards it, rather than focusing on poverty eradication policies alone.

Authors: Andrew Shepherd, Lucy Scott and Chiara Mariotti.

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Tackling obstacles to social protection for chronically poor people

Social  protection  policies  and  programmes  can  make a major contribution to reducing poverty among  chronically and severely poor people and securing  their rights. Negative perceptions of social protection transfers continue to influence national and international anti-poverty agendas. Most of the concerns raised are based on misconceptions. This briefing outlines evidence that demolishes some of the myths concerning social protection. 

Author: Rachel Marcus

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Social protection transfers for chronically poor people

Social protection policies aim to address both  severe  and  long-term  poverty,  and to  reduce vulnerability,  and  are  thus  one of the most significant areas of policy for chronically and severely poor people. good social protection addresses both factors that push people into poverty and those which keep them there. It can help both poor people and countries move out of ‘low equilibrium poverty traps’, where they are producing low-value added products with limited returns.

Author: Rachel Marcus

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