The Significance of the Social Protection Legal Framework in Zambia

Where are we in the process of enacting the Social Protection Bill?

The social protection sub-sector in Zambia has continued to grow significantly over the past 10 years, on the backdrop of the National Social Protection Policy Framework which was launched in 2014 and  is now under review. In 2018, Zambia started the development of the Social Protection Legal Framework “Social Protection Bill”, the Big Question is where are we as a country to enact this important legislation? What can we learn from countries who have in place social protection legal frameworks such as Kenya.

In collaboration with the Southern African Social Protection Expert Network (SASPEN), the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) and the Consortium for the Rights and Welfare of Older Persons (CROP), the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Zambia Office convened the Social Policy Forum themed Significance of the Social Protection Legal Framework in Zambia  on the 2^nd March 2023 at the Quorum Hotel, in Lusaka. 

The opening presentation for the event was delivered by Mr. Richard Nyakundi Rori, a Social Protection Policy and Research Analyst at the State Department of Social Protection – NSSF/NSPS in Kenya on the topic “Social Protection Legal Framework Development in Kenya: Learns Learnt, Success and Challenges. Mr. Rori shared the Kenyan social protection legal framework development and experience to provide lessons for the Zambian context.

The forum included a panel discussion comprising of representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) and the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) to give Government and CSO’s Positions on the Social Protection Legal Framework in Zambia.