@article{2014:goldblatt:social_sec,
title = {Social Security in South Africa – a Gender and Human Rights Analysis},
year = {2014},
note = {South Africa has a large social assistance programme that plays a
critical role in addressing extreme poverty. The strong constitutional
rights framework, including a right to social security, underpins the
development of this programme. Women are the major recipients of
social assistance grants but in most cases collect grants for the
benefit of their children (in the form of Child Support Grants).
Working age people who are able-bodied are not provided with social
assistance despite the high levels of unemployment in the country.
Women, who are poorer with less access to paid work, are most
disadvantaged by this gap. A recent move to attach conditions to the
Child Support Grant is analysed from a gender and human rights
perspective. The article considers some of the arguments relating to
‘conditionality’ in social security and finds that this move is
unnecessary, impractical and a possible violation of human rights as
well as a worrying trend in a system that has previously made little
use of conditions. The article concludes by proposing a deliberative
process of ensuring that the social security right becomes a
gender-responsive vehicle for fundamental social change.},
journal = {VRÜ Verfassung und Recht in Übersee},
pages = {22--42},
author = {Goldblatt, Beth},
volume = {47},
number = {1}
}