Social Protection Podcast

About Social Protection Podcast

Social Protection Podcast is brought to you by socialprotection.org. We’re a knowledge sharing and capacity building platform, open to social protection practitioners, policy-makers, and experts, as well as academics and students. Social protection is a large and growing field, that has also achieved increased profile and salience since 2020 due to COVID-19. From building delivery systems and protecting People with Disabilities, to social protection financing and school feeding – there is no shortage of topics for Social Protection Podcast to tackle. Each month we will aim to bring you rich, interesting and different content. Through interviews, discussions and debates with experts and practitioners, Social Protection Podcast will illuminate new research and bring a range of perspectives to debates and controversies as well as areas of growing consensus.

Publisher

socialprotection.org

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Mar 2021

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

79 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Sustainable Oceans Start with Secure Livelihoods | Social Protection for Fisheries Series Part I

   Globally, fisheries and aquaculture make essential contributions to nutrition and food security, income, livelihoods, and economies, particularly through the small-scale fisheries sector, which directly employs 60 million people, supports nearly 500 million livelihoods, and provides over half of all fish consumed worldwide. Yet, despite these contributions, small-scale fishers and fish workers often face unequal access to resources and opportunities, precarious working conditions, unstable incomes, market and value-chain pressures, limited access to social protection, and growing exposure to economic and environmental shocks. Together, these challenges can undermine livelihoods and contribute to unsustainable outcomes for both fishing communities and aquatic ecosystems, which raises an important question: How can efforts to protect our oceans also protect the communities that depend on them? In this first episode of the Social Protection for Fisheries series, we explore the connections between social protection, livelihood security, and environmental sustainability in small-scale fisheries. Through practical examples, our guests discuss how social protection measures, including compensation mechanisms linked to fisheries management and conservation efforts, can help reduce vulnerabilities, support income stability, and enable sustainable fishing practices. The episode also highlights the role of markets and fishers’ organizations and explores how stronger registries and interoperability can help extend social protection to fishing communities. Meet our guests: Daniela Kalikoski, Fishery Officer and Equitable Livelihoods Team Lead, Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Fabio Veras, Researcher, Brazil's Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) Wendy Norton, Director of Global Programs, Global Ocean Conservation, Monterey Bay Aquarium 💬 Your feedback and ideas for the podcast are always welcome. Share your suggestions on topics to cover, resources, or guest recommendations.

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Ep. 66 | Building Trust: Can Social Protection Strengthen Social Cohesion?

   Beyond reducing poverty, can social protection build trust – within communities and between citizens and the state – and help hold societies together? In this episode, we discuss the relationship between social protection and social cohesion. Drawing on research from Ethiopia, Malawi and beyond, our guests explore why cash transfers can help restore social ties and institutional trust in some settings, while creating perceptions of unfairness and tensions in others. The conversation looks at what makes the difference, from transparent targeting to community participation and communication, and asks how policymakers can support social cohesion without expecting social protection schemes to achieve what they cannot do alone. Meet our guests: Francesco Burchi, Senior Researcher and Project Leader, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) Kibrom Abay, Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategy and Governance Division, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) For our Quick Wins segment, we talked to Social Protection Specialist and researcher Nourjelha Elhag. In her recently published article, she explores the potential of zakat to complement national social protection systems, drawing on research from Pakistan and Jordan. 💬 Your feedback and ideas for the podcast are always welcome. Share your suggestions on topics to cover, resources, or guest recommendations.

3. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Ep. 65 | Beyond the Cost: Why Investing in Social Protection Matters

   As part of socialprotection.org’s 11th anniversary, this episode explores the central question behind the campaign: what does society stand to lose when we do not invest in social protection? Too often framed primarily as a public expense, social protection can play a critical role in reducing poverty and inequality, expanding access to opportunities, and helping people and economies withstand and recover from shocks. When adequate protection is not in place, the consequences can extend across the life course and across societies, reinforcing vulnerability, limiting inclusive development, and weakening social cohesion. Drawing on evidence and examples from different contexts, this episode delves into the social and economic returns of investing in social protection, from early childhood, care and informal employment to economic inclusion and crisis preparedness. What are the wider costs of leaving people without adequate protection? How can stronger, universal systems contribute to resilience, productivity and more equitable opportunities? And what does it take to build and expand social protection systems when governments face competing priorities and limited resources? Meet our guests: Laura Alfers, International Coordinator, WIEGO Dominic Richardson, Managing Director, Learning for Well-being Institute Jamele Rigolini, Senior Advisor for Social Policy, The World Bank For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Sherine Al-Shawarby, Professor of Economics at Cairo University and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, Economics and Business Administration at May University in Cairo, who discussed the ongoing debate around bread subsidy reform in Egypt 💬 Your feedback and ideas for the podcast are always welcome. Share your suggestions on topics to cover, resources, or guest recommendations.

Who has been a guest on Social Protection Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Hassatou Diop N’Sele
• Celine Julia Felix
• Lena Simet
• Herryman Moono
• Lou Tessier

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

229,001

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

48

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

85

Contact Social Protection Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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