Social Security in South Africa - a Gender and Human Rights Analysis

Goldblatt, BA

Social Security in South Africa - a Gender and Human Rights Analysis

Goldblatt, BA

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Publisher:: Nomos
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Verfassung und Recht in Übersee, 2014, 47, (1), pp. 22-42
Issue Date:: 2014-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Goldblatt, BA
dc.date.accessioned	2021-09-17T07:05:16Z
dc.date.available	2021-09-17T07:05:16Z
dc.date.issued	2014-01
dc.identifier.citation	Verfassung und Recht in Übersee, 2014, 47, (1), pp. 22-42
dc.identifier.issn	0506-7286
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/150620
dc.description.abstract	South Africa has a large social assistance programme that plays a critical role in addressing extreme poverty.The strong constitutional rights framework, including a right to social security, underpins the development of this programme. Women are the major recipients of social assistance grants but in most cases collect grants for the benefit of their children (in the form of Child Support Grants). Working age people who are able-bodied are not provided with social assistance despite the high levels of unemployment in the country. Women, who are poorer with less access to paid work, are most disadvantaged by this gap. A recent move to attach conditions to the Child Support Grant is analysed from a gender and human rights perspective. The article considers some of the arguments relating to `conditionality in social security and finds that this move is unnecessary, impractical and a possible violation of human rights as well as a worrying trend in a system that has previously made little use of conditions. The article concludes by proposing a deliberative process of ensuring that the social security right becomes a gender-responsive vehicle for fundamental social change.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Nomos
dc.relation.ispartof	Verfassung und Recht in Übersee
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.5771/0506-7286-2014-1-22
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1801 Law
dc.title	Social Security in South Africa - a Gender and Human Rights Analysis
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	47
utslib.for	1801 Law
utslib.for	1801 Law
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Law
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2021-09-17T07:05:15Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	47
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

South Africa has a large social assistance programme that plays a critical role in addressing extreme poverty.The strong constitutional rights framework, including a right to social security, underpins the development of this programme. Women are the major recipients of social assistance grants but in most cases collect grants for the benefit of their children (in the form of Child Support Grants). Working age people who are able-bodied are not provided with social assistance despite the high levels of unemployment in the country. Women, who are poorer with less access to paid work, are most disadvantaged by this gap. A recent move to attach conditions to the Child Support Grant is analysed from a gender and human rights perspective. The article considers some of the arguments relating to `conditionality in social security and finds that this move is unnecessary, impractical and a possible violation of human rights as well as a worrying trend in a system that has previously made little use of conditions. The article concludes by proposing a deliberative process of ensuring that the social security right becomes a gender-responsive vehicle for fundamental social change.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/150620