In Indonesia, social protection can underpin democracy

Abstract

Anyone looking for proof of the valuable role social protection plays in our economies should look no further than Indonesia. After all, here's a country of over 260 million people living on more than 6,000 islands where administrative and logistical challenges are simply routine. Even Indonesia's presidential election, held on 17 April, was hailed as an achievement in itself.Indonesia's social protection system generates fewer headlines but is no less impressive. It now reaches almost the entire population, helping people escape from poverty, access health facilities, go to school and feed themselves. Whatever the result of the presidential vote, there is no doubting the growing contribution of social protection to Indonesia's democracy.According to a new report, the Social Protection System Review of Indonesia, the growth in social protection in Indonesia over the last 20 years has been remarkable. In fact, since the Asian financial crisis in 1997-98, successive administrations have not only expanded the scope of social protection to cover a broad range of risks but have also sought to increase coherence between