Training
Civil society platform organizes training on social protection for members of political parties and journalists with ILO’ support
From 3 to 4 May 2023, the Mozambican Civil Society Platform for Social Protection (PSCM-PS) organized a training on social protection geared towards members of political parties and journalists. This capacity building activity aimed at raising awareness on social protection among politicians and the media ahead of October’s municipal elections. The goal being to provide this target audience with more knowledge and evidence on social protection that could be used to feed into party manifestos and high-quality media coverage.
The training took place in Ponta do Ouro, Maputo Province, with ILO’s support through the United Nations Joint Programme on Social Protection (UNJP-SP), funded by the Embassies of Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom.
Some 10 members from national political parties attended the event, representing the Earth Movement Ecological Party, the Liberation Front of Mozambique (FRELIMO), the Mozambican Democratic Movement (MDM), the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO), and the New Democracy Party. 11 journalists from various media outlets based in various regions in the country also took part in the training.
During the training, which relied on the technical expertise of ILO officials, participants explored concepts, trends, challenges, and opportunities related to the national social protection system, and learned more about existing policy and legal frameworks as well as financing for social protection. In the second day, sessions and discussions covered various topics, such as the extension of social protection to workers in the informal economy, the universalization of old-age pensions, and how other political parties around the world have mainstreamed social protection issues within their manifestos.
At the end, members of political parties and journalists participated in group exercises in which parties presented a simulation of a manifesto including proposals for improving social protection in Mozambique, whereas journalists made questions and discussed the media’s role in covering social protection issues. PSCM-PS expects that social protection features high in the electoral debate this year, hoping for more public investments towards and strengthening of the national social protection system.
Some 10 members from national political parties attended the event, representing the Earth Movement Ecological Party, the Liberation Front of Mozambique (FRELIMO), the Mozambican Democratic Movement (MDM), the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO), and the New Democracy Party. 11 journalists from various media outlets based in various regions in the country also took part in the training.
During the training, which relied on the technical expertise of ILO officials, participants explored concepts, trends, challenges, and opportunities related to the national social protection system, and learned more about existing policy and legal frameworks as well as financing for social protection. In the second day, sessions and discussions covered various topics, such as the extension of social protection to workers in the informal economy, the universalization of old-age pensions, and how other political parties around the world have mainstreamed social protection issues within their manifestos.
At the end, members of political parties and journalists participated in group exercises in which parties presented a simulation of a manifesto including proposals for improving social protection in Mozambique, whereas journalists made questions and discussed the media’s role in covering social protection issues. PSCM-PS expects that social protection features high in the electoral debate this year, hoping for more public investments towards and strengthening of the national social protection system.