Abstract
In most global south countries, various informal institutions provide welfare to a large segment of theneglected, poor and vulnerable populations through informal social protection. Despite being a majorsource of welfare in the global south, the usefulness of informal social protection at the household levelremains an under-researched area. In this exploratory study, we have determined the usefulness of informalsocial protection provided through religious institutions, such as madrassas and compared it with formalsocial protection at the household level utilising the case study of a lower-income country such as Pakistan.A mixed methodology of data collection comprising a survey and semi-structured interviews in 14 differentcities of Pakistan of the poor and eligible households for receiving formal social protection was conducted forthe research. The results suggest the coverage of informal social protection provided by madrassas is greaterthan formal social protection. The poor and vulnerable population value and considers it more useful thanformal social protection. We conclude that integrating informal and formal social protection would helpimprove the effectiveness of social policies in developing and less developed countries.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 243-272 |
Number of pages | 30 |
Journal | Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 4 Oct 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2021 |