Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mercy Dinha, has called for innovative and sustainable financing mechanisms to strengthen social protection systems and ensure vulnerable communities are not excluded from essential support.
Officially opening Zimbabwe Social Protection Week at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Grounds in Bulawayo, yesterday, Dinha challenged Government, development partners, academia and civil society to rethink how social protection programmes are financed amid fiscal constraints and emerging economic and environmental challenges.
“How do we build and finance social protection systems that are sufficiently inclusive to leave no one behind, sufficiently resilient to withstand economic and environmental shocks, and sufficiently sustainable to protect present and future generations?” she asked.
Dinha said the question placed the responsibility on stakeholders to examine existing financing models and identify approaches that could guarantee continued assistance to vulnerable members of society.
“Social protection financing needed to respond to changing circumstances while ensuring that people requiring assistance were not disadvantaged by limited resources or competing national priorities.
The deliberations should help stakeholders identify strategic opportunities to strengthen social protection systems, particularly at a time when economic pressures and environmental shocks can increase the vulnerability of households,” Dinha added.
The event brought together Government representatives, development partners, academics and civil society organisations to exchange ideas and explore practical solutions for improving the financing and delivery of social protection programmes.
Zimbabwe Social Protection Week comes as policymakers and development partners continue to examine how resources can be mobilised and deployed more effectively to protect vulnerable communities.
