New research will explore colonial influences on social protection in Tanzania and Ivory Coast

The Centre for the Study of Global Development (CSGD) has been awarded a grant by the German government to develop a framework study and two country case study papers on social protection and overcoming colonial continuities. The research project aligns with the German Ministry of Development Cooperation’s broader interest in understanding historical path dependencies and the role of colonialism within them.

The research team will explore past and present colonial influences on social protection arrangements in two distinctively different African countries: Tanzania (Mainland) and Ivory Coast. Although Tanzania and Ivory Coast are both in sub-Saharan Africa, they constitute distinct case studies due to their different (colonial) histories, donor landscapes and influence, and state of social protection.

The research project aims to develop an in-depth understanding of how postcolonial dynamics shape the contemporary political and policy environment in the two countries. It will explore how their governments and civil society organisations have sought to overcome harmful path dependencies in social protection arrangements. These insights will show what can be learned from these two countries on developing more equitable and sustainable social protection policies and programmes.

CSGD will partner with the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) on the project. Dr Keetie Roelen, CSGD’s Co-Deputy Director, will lead the research project together with Dr Roosa Lambin, Professor Arsène Brice Bado from Ivory Coast and Winnie Muangi from Tanzania.