Dilma and Bachelet say rich nations need to do more to protect the less fortunate

Yesterday, the former Social Democrat president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, now the UN Women Executive Director, met with president Dilma Rousseff. Bachelet gave Dilma a Portuguese-language copy of a report from UN Women on the international financial crisis. The document, “A Social Protection Floor for Equitable and Inclusive Globalization,” recommends a strong social safety net (“pisos de proteção social”) in developed nations to stimulate growth and social inclusion (that is, protecting the less fortunate members of society from falling through the cracks as a result of government neglect). The idea is to implant policies that redistribute income and provide access to basic services in the areas of health, education, basic sanitation, employment and housing.

In a speech, Bachelet emphasized the importance of a safety net in reducing the impact of economic crises, especially on low-income members of society. “This is not just a question of human rights. It makes a lot of economic sense,” she declared.

Bachelet cited the Brazilian subsidy program for the poor, Bolsa Familia, as an example of income redistribution. “It [Bolsa Familia] changes local economic dynamics as recipients spend benefit payments locally. You get more demand for goods and services and that means more jobs.”

In her comments, Dilma Rousseff, called the situation in developed nations “dramatic.”

She declared: “Today we are going through a difficult moment. Economically the situation in developed nations is dramatic and, in some ways, even harmful to the population. We are concerned with adjustment policies that reduce rights and social protection.”

Dilma cited the high levels of unemployment, especially among the young.

“We see levels of unemployment that affect quality of life. There is a need to replace the dissonance between the voice of the market and the voice of main street with open channels of communication.”