Social Protection Under Fire: Grassroots Voices and Collective Resilience

The Asian Roundtable on Social Protection (AROSP), part of the Global Coalition on the Social Protection Floor, has long advocated for universal social protection, especially maternity protection. It views social protection as a fundamental human right that must include informal workers, women, people with disabilities, gender-diverse communities, and marginalized groups in developing countries.

AROSP is deeply concerned about wars and conflicts—from West Asia and the Russia-Ukraine war to Myanmar—that devastate livelihoods, destroy infrastructure, and weaken social protection systems. These crises spread beyond borders, fueling energy shocks, food insecurity, inflation, unemployment, and forced migration, with the poorest communities suffering most.

Asian migrant workers, employed in low-paid sectors across West Asia, the Gulf, Europe, and beyond, face extreme vulnerability during wars. Many lose jobs, wages, and shelter, while women migrant workers endure violence and exploitation. Families back home suffer from lost remittances, and returnees face debt, stigma, and lack of reintegration support. Migrant workers are often excluded from social protection in both host and origin countries, creating a severe protection gap.

AROSP calls for immediate ceasefires, rebuilding of infrastructure, restoration of public services, and universal social protection. It insists that protection is not charity but a right and responsibility of governments, institutions, employers, and civil society. At the World Social Forum, AROSP urges discussion on:

• The impact of wars on social protection
• The vulnerabilities of migrant and informal workers, women, children, and displaced communities
• Strengthening community resilience and solidarity economy approaches
• Ensuring universal social protection remains a priority even in crises

This global gathering is a vital opportunity for AROSP to raise these issues and demand action.