Informal social protection actors: A focus on women self-help groups in Kenya

For most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, social protection is provided by formal and informal actors. Focusing on women self-help groups as informal social protection actors, this qualitative study examines their nature, activities and functions and how they provide informal social protection. Data on self-help groups were collected from 25 women through in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions. The findings show that these groups provide crucial safety nets by smoothing incomes and consumption, and providing social assistance and insurance. However, social protection provided informally is exclusionary and limited. The implications of these findings are discussed.