Possibilities and Challenges: Social Protection and COVID-19 Crisis in Jordan

Abstract

The social protection systems in Jordan face significant challenges, which undermine the country’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. In fact, this crisis has highlighted the need for economic and financial reform, as the current institutions are not honouring their promises despite the developments in the past decade. Moreover, the crisis has left a tremendous impact on families and communities, including the loss of income and the lack of access to adequate healthcare. The Jordanian government has taken measures to curb the spread of the pandemic but could not establish an effective plan to protect the most vulnerable groups who lack access to advanced social protection systems. The government of Jordan has developed several programmes to cushion the social and economic effects of the pandemic on the most venerable workers in the country. This report describes the different programmes and the mechanisms used to reach the country’s most vulnerable groups. It focuses specifically on informal workers, women, and the youth. The report also shows that Jordan has used its existing social protection systems to reach vulnerable people through emergency cash transfer programmes, either by expanding the already existing programme (Takaful) or creating new ones (Tamkin Iqtisadi, Himaya, Musanid). The Jordanian government’s responsiveness and effectiveness were conditioned and restrictive towards women, informal workers, and refugees. This report analyses the government's response in an attempt to identify gaps in the Jordanian social protection system and how it can be further developed.