Social Protection is the global terminology for preventing, managing, and overcoming situations that adversely affect people’s well-being.
Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Lynda Tabuya noted this in a statement while welcoming the decision by Cabinet to approve the name change and the rebranding of the Ministry.
Ms Tabuya says the Ministry will be renamed as the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection from August 1, 2023.
She said the decision to rename the ministry was timely as they are preparing for the budget announcement and the new financial year.
“{The rationale behind the change from Poverty Alleviation to Social Protection is that poverty is a multidimensional and cross cutting issue which will not be the sole work of the Ministry but rather an integrated and coordinated whole of Government approach,” Ms Tabuya said.
“Furthermore, our poverty benefit scheme is but only one of six programs we provide to our most vulnerable, whereas all six programs fall under Social Protection.
“In Fiji, our Social Protection Programs have played an important role in providing a safety net for individuals against economic risk and vulnerability,” she said.
“The bulk of the Ministry’s work and budget revolves around Social Protection.
“It is the responsibility of the Ministry to graduate our people out of poverty to productivity.
“However, there are vulnerable groups like our elderly, our people with disabilities, our children at risk, our children and elderly in state care, our single mums who are taken care of in our social protection programs that need government’s assistance.”
Ms Tabuya said they believe this rebranding is reflective of the Government’s commitment to be relevant to the 21st century and to elevate the welfare and economic wellbeing of our people.
