The article The role of social security in poverty reduction – Reinforcing life cycle-based models for more effective systems, written by Shea McClanahan and Raúl Ruggia-Frick of the ISSA, was originally published in French in Regards – Protection sociale, no. 63, June 2024.

The article examines the global focus on poverty reduction and its influence on social security and protection policies and programming, particularly in the Global South. The authors highlight a growing body of evidence that challenges the sustainability of policy frameworks focused predominantly on poverty reduction. Instead, significant poverty reduction often results from comprehensive social security systems that include both tax‑funded and contributory programmes centred around lifecycle risks, where programmes expressly designed to target poverty play an essential, but complementary, role.

These broad-based social security systems, especially when designed in a multi-tiered way, continue to play a fundamentally preventive role in addressing poverty. Reinforcing these systems will leverage the extensive administrative capabilities of social security organizations, revitalizing their mission to ensure the well-being of the entire population.