The final issue of the International Social Security Review in 2024 is a special issue addressing the topic of “Gender and social security”. A key aim is to discern how gender bias and discrimination can be addressed not only in social security programmes but also within the operational and human resource management practices of their administering bodies.
National social security systems often
reflect entrenched gender inequalities in other areas of society. Such
inequalities, be they in labour markets and employment, care-giving roles and
responsibilities, social structures and social norms – which together influence
opportunities, behaviour and perceptions – act to hamper women’s realization of
their right to decent work and social security and their full participation and
empowerment in society across the life course.
Addressing a diverse set of
challenges, the articles consider policy responses across branches in countries
with often divergent levels of economic development, evolving labour markets
and social norms and where the digitalization of social security services may
be more or less developed.
Connecting all articles is the
objective of how to design gender-responsive social security programmes and
administrations, which avoid entrenching existing gender inequalities and help
transform social norms, to truly contribute to gender equality, to realize the
fundamental human right to social security for women and men as defined in the
SDG 2030 agenda.