<p>The on-going negative impacts of the 2007/2008 global economic crisis has underlined the need for, and the role of social protection. Noting that countries have responded to the economic crisis in different ways, the paper identifies some of the gender barriers and limitations of social protection measures caused by being gender-blind and not taking women’s particular work patterns into account such as their underrepresentation in formal employment. The consequences of this are especially prevalent in developing countries where, for instance, the extensive informality of employment and weak political coalitions hamper women’s access to social protection. In the last section, the paper provides three policy recommendations for equalizing social protection outcomes for women and men, while stressing that excessive demands should not be placed on social protection systems. <br />
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Adapted from author’s summary.<br />
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