Social Protection Podcast

In the context of global price shocks, governments often turn to subsidies to shield households and businesses from rising costs. While subsidies can provide immediate relief, they are also among the most contested policy instruments. Given how costly they are to sustain, subsidies often have regressive distributional impact making them notoriously difficult to reform.

In this concluding episode of our two-part discussion on subsidies, we explore why subsidy reform remains one of the most politically and economically challenging issues in social policy. If there is broad agreement that resources could often be used more effectively through targeted social protection, why do subsidies continue to persist? What political, institutional, and social factors make reform so difficult? And what lessons can be drawn from countries that have successfully transitioned towards more equitable and efficient systems?

We also examine the role of social protection in making the reforms feasible. As governments seek fiscal space to strengthen social protection systems and respond to economic, climate, and other shocks, compensatory cash transfers and adaptive social protection have increasingly been presented as viable alternatives to broad-based subsidies and strong enablers of a successful reform.

Meet our guests:

Dr. Neil McCulloch, Director, The Policy Practice

Tara Moayed, Governance and Social Development Consultant

For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Shaun Baugh, Programme Manager at Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat who shed light on the implications of the “Super El Niño”, alongside other climate and global shocks, for food security and vulnerable populations in the region.

Related resources
Publication | Intersecting Global and Regional Shocks: Implications of the Middle East Crisis and El Niño for Food Security in the Caribbean

Publication | From Regressive Subsidies to Progressive Redistribution: The Role of Redistribution and Recognition in Energy Subsidy Reform

Over recent decades, global shocks such as the Global Food, Fuel and Financial Crisis of 2007–2009, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, have driven countries to rapidly scale up social protection measures, including subsidies, to cushion households from rising food and energy prices. Increasing attention has also been placed on shock-responsive measures to address climate disasters and other crises. The recent conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to energy infrastructure and oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz have once again highlighted the vulnerability of global energy and food systems. While oil flows have resumed, markets are expected to stabilise over time, with continued impacts on energy prices, agricultural inputs and household budgets.

In this first episode of a two-part discussion on subsidies, we draw on recent analyses to explore why such policies continue to account for over half of global responses to price shocks despite their regressive nature and significant fiscal costs, and what it would take to strengthen social protection systems as more effective and sustainable alternatives. Why do governments continue to rely on subsidies despite these challenges? What prevents social protection systems from playing a larger role during crises? And what would it take to build systems that can respond more quickly and effectively when the next shock hits?

 

* This episode was recorded on 17 June 2026. While we recognize that there have been further developments in the Iran-US peace talks, the discussions in this episode remain relevant and continue to provide valuable context.

 

Meet our guests:

 

Giovanna Mazzeo Ortolani, Social Protection Specialist, FAO

Yannick Hemmerlé, Economist, OECD Economics Department

 

For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Marina Carvalho, Project Manager at socialprotection.org, who introduced some of the  key features and improvements of the new socialprotection.org platform,  launched in June! We invite you to explore the new platform and join us in growing the world's leading knowledge-sharing community on social protection!

 

Resources:

Report | Tracking Global Social Policy Responses to High Energy Prices

Report | The role of social protection in addressing the impacts of the 2026 conflict in the Middle East

Policy Brief | Energy prices are spiking again

In this episode of the Social Inclusion Series*, we explore how social protection systems can support greater inclusion for persons with disabilities across the Asia-Pacific region. Most of them face multiple and interconnected barriers, ranging from inaccessible environments and social stigma to the high costs of healthcare, assistive technologies, and care. When these needs go unmet, they can lead to increased risk of poverty, reduced participation in education and employment, and diminished well-being for individuals and their families.

This episode examines how governments and communities are working to address these challenges. We unpack “cash-plus” approaches that combine income support with health coverage, assistive devices, and care services, and look at how countries, especially in Southeast Asia, are designing more inclusive and responsive forms of support..

Meet our guests: 

Abner Manlapaz, Senior Associate of Center for Inclusive Policy (CIP)

Charles Knox-Vydmanov, Social Policy Specialist (Inclusive Social Protection – Disability), UNICEF

For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Sam Drummond, the host of the podcast ‘Building Inclusion’, a limited podcast series that highlights the voices shaping the future of disability inclusion in Australia.

*The Social Inclusion Series, produced by socialprotection.org in partnership with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), is a three-part series that explores how social protection systems can advance the economic and social inclusion of vulnerable populations across the Indo-Pacific, in line with GEDSI principles, addressing key themes such as gender equality, demographic shifts, and disability inclusion.

 

Resources:

Multimedia | Building Inclusion: Australia’s Disability Strategy

Publication | Global Disability Inclusion Report

Publication | Methodological Guidelines on Assessing Household Disability-Related Costs and Their Implication for Participation

Publication | Building an inclusive future: Social protection as a catalyst for disability empowerment in Viet Nam

Publication| Bridging the information gap towards inclusive governance

In this second episode of the Social Inclusion Series*, we explore how ageing populations are reshaping social protection needs and development across Asia and the Pacific. While demographic trends vary widely across the region, countries are increasingly facing issues on how to support income security, health, care, and dignity in later life.

The episode explores the links between ageing, pension systems, and the care economy, which has long relied on women’s unpaid labour, including how family-based care is coming under increasing pressure from migration, urbanisation, and changing social and economic conditions. Drawing on examples from the Asia-Pacific region, with a closer look at the experience of Fiji, our guests discuss how social protection can evolve to complement family and community support, reduce poverty, and strengthen resilience across the life course.

Meet our guests: 

Philip O’Keefe, Professor of Practice, Centre for Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), University of New South Wales

Jesse Doyle, Senior Social Protection Specialist (Economist), P4SP**

Ms Rozia Bi, National Coordinator - Social Protection Reforms, Fiji Ministry of Women, Children & Social Protection

For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Meghna Ranganathan, Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who shared insights on how the impacts of social protection interventions on intimate partner violence and household dynamics evolve over time, and reflected on more inclusive approaches to research and evidence.

*The Social Inclusion Series, produced by socialprotection.org in partnership with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), is a three-part series that explores how social protection systems can advance the economic and social inclusion of vulnerable populations across the Indo-Pacific, in line with GEDSI principles, addressing key themes such as gender equality, demographic shifts, and disability inclusion.

**P4SP stands for Partnership for Social Protection and it is a program funded and supported by the Australian Government. More information here. 

Resources:

Publication | World social protection report 2024-26: Regional companion report for Asia and the Pacific

Publication | Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific 2024 - Protecting our Future Today: Social Protection in Asia and the Pacific

Publication | Toward a Resilient Care Ecosystem in Asia and the Pacific - Promising Practices, Lessons Learned, and Pathways for Action on Decent Care Work

Publication | Caring Societies, Inclusive, and Green Economies in Asia and the Pacific: Unveiling Data To Advance Women’s Empowerment Beyond GDP

Blog | Why Asia-Pacific should care about care: Care infrastructure is the next frontier development solution across the region

Blog | Ageing in the Global South: The challenge of social protection

Publication | Future demand for care in Indonesia, the Philippines & Vietnam

Website | Cash Transfer and IPV Research Collaborative

Publication | Evolution of intimate partner violence impacts from cash transfers, food transfers, and behaviour change communication: Mixed-method experimental evidence from a nine-year post-programme follow-up in Bangladesh

Publication | Decolonising implementation science: a call for methodological pluralism

In this first episode of the Social Inclusion Series*, we shine a spotlight on adolescent girls. Adolescence is a turning point—but one that often goes overlooked in social protection. These years are filled with major transitions, especially for girls, who often face greater challenges in staying in school, taking on care responsibilities, navigating sexual debut, and making decisions about their futures. These challenges are often driven by underlying gender inequalities and poverty, which shape and often constrain these pathways.  

In this episode, we explore how social protection can help shift that trajectory. Focusing on risks such as child marriage and early pregnancy, we unpack how well-designed programmes can support girls to stay in school, access essential services, and navigate this critical stage of life with greater security. It also discusses how crisis—from economic shocks to climate change—can deepen risks, making already fragile transitions even more uncertain for adolescent girls. 

Our guests dive into the evidence on what works providing some examples in Asia and worldwide and discuss why investing in adolescent girls is key to building more inclusive, resilient and climate-adaptive societies. 

Meet our guests: 

Kath Ford, Deputy Director, Young Lives Research Program, University of Oxford 

Dr. Nyasha Tirivayi, Social Policy Manager, UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence-Innocenti 

For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Eunice Tumwebaze, who is the Manager for Gender, Youth, and Children at the Kampala Capital City Authority in Uganda, who provided and overview of the Uganda's first urban social protection program for girls called “Girls Empowering Girls”. 

*The Social Inclusion Series, produced by socialprotection.org in partnership with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), is a three-part series that explores how social protection systems can advance the economic and social inclusion of vulnerable populations across the Indo-Pacific, in line with GEDSI principles, addressing key themes such as gender equality, demographic shifts, and disability inclusion. 

 

Resources:

Publication | Unlocking Potential: How Social Protection Can Improve Disadvantaged Children’s Foundational Cognitive Skills 

Publication | Weathering the Storm: Climate Shocks Threaten Children’s Skills and Learning But Social Protection Can Mitigate Impact 

Publication | A Call to Action to expand social protection and care systems and promote decent work to address child poverty 

Publication | Non-contributory Social Protection and Adolescents in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review of Government Programming and Impacts 

Publication | Impacts and Design of Social Assistance for Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment and Well-Being in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What Works for Adolescent Girls 

Publication | Systematic review of cash plus or bundled interventions targeting adolescents in Africa to reduce HIV risk 

News | DSWD's ProtecTEEN program to address adolescent pregnancy 

News | DSWD XI, CPD XI forge partnership on Social Protection and PopDev 

Technical Brief | The Investment Case for the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy and Child Marriage in South-East Asia  

Webinar | Global Evaluation of UNICEF work supporting expansion toward universal child benefits - cash plus programming strengthening adolescent and youth development, opportunities and empowerment In Good practices from Uganda and India 

Website | Gender-Responsive Age-Sensitive Social Protection (GRASSP) project 

Publication | Towards Gender-Responsive Social Protection: Evidence on policymaking, programme implementation and impacts for women and girls 

Publication | A Cash Plus Model for Safe Transitions to a Healthy and Productive Adulthood: Round 4 Findings