To browse Academia. This research presents a comprehensive diagnostic analysis of the social protection system in The Gambia, highlighting its importance as a tool for poverty reduction and resilience-building among the vulnerable populations. The study maps the existing social protection policies and programs, assesses their effectiveness in addressing poverty and vulnerability, particularly among marginalized groups, and identifies critical gaps and opportunities for improvement.
The findings aim to inform policy dialogues and decision-making processes to foster an integrated and equitable social protection framework in the country. This paper reviews the growth, employment, and poverty record of The Gambia focusing on the macroeconomic environment and the structure and functioning of labour markets.
Its aim is to identify areas where current policies can be improved or where more knowledge needs to be generated to better inform inclusive development strategies. The growth pattern of The Gambia does not appear to be pro-poor, as improvements in the rate of growth appear to have at best halted the spread of poverty. Weak productivity performance and the low quality of employment help explain the poverty record.
On the macroeconomic side, an excessive emphasis on inflation reduction and reliance on monetary policy instruments that have helped sustain a high-interest rate environment, which discourages investment and employment creation. As part of an alternative policy package, The Gambia could reformulate macroeconomic policies to target growth instead of inflation, select a more effective mix of policy instruments, and pursue financial reforms to increase the supply of credit to the economy and particularly to employment-intensive activities.
In addition, targeted public investments are essential for sustaining more rapid growth and improvements in employment opportunities. A review of the available evidence suggests that labour markets in The Gambia do not function in a way conducive to poverty reduction. The employment situation conforms to the typical configuration, whereby traditional activities and informality dominate rural and urban areas.
