Social Protection: Rethinking Rights and Duties

Social protection research and policy often hold unbalanced views on the relationship between rights and duties, thereby segregating “the poor” from “the non-poor”. This has implications for solidarity and for the sustainability of social protection systems. By applying citizenship theories to social protection, we show that duties need not be carried solely by the state or forced upon beneficiaries as conditional requirements. Rather, as citizens are both productive and vulnerable, all citizens fulfill duties and hold rights, although their contributions to and needs for social protection vary. Sustainable social protection policies thus enhance citizens’ agency as both rights-holders and duty-bearers.