Chimezie Anajama is a development researcher and policy advisor in social protection, tax, inclusive development financing, and digitalisation.
Focusing on intersectionality in inclusive development discourse, she has written and presented papers on the themes of decency of work and social protection of digital platform workers in Nigeria.
Anajama says: “Social protection should be seen as a strategy towards sustainable growth instead of a fiscal burden that some countries give as an afterthought. Social protection enables social resilience, which is needed to spur long-term economic growth.
“Countries like Brazil that have successfully implemented social protection strategies have reaped the rewards and continue to do so, as these strategies are integral to their growth paths. They see social protection as a productive investment against passive transfers, which is why they cannot do away with it despite any shocks they face. …
“More than ever, the care economy, where there is high female labour participation, should stop being neglected in the conversation around social protection. The value of women’s contribution to the economy through care should be recognised, and economic infrastructure and reward built around it. Everybody wins by doing this.”
