Comparing formal and informal social protection: A case study of exploring the usefulness of informal social protection in Pakistan

Zahid Mumtaz*, Peter Whiteford

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)
7 Downloads (Pure)

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 languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)243-272
Number of pages30
JournalJournal of International and Comparative Social Policy
Volume37
Issue number3
Early online date4 Oct 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2021

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Comparing formal and informal social protection: A case study of exploring the usefulness of informal social protection in Pakistan'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this