A Quiet Shift Is Changing Lives and Futures Across Communities

Madagascar has expanded social protection programmes to reach millions, helping families recover from shocks while creating new pathways to work, education and long-term economic participation.

“When they receive the right support, they thrive. They uplift their families, strengthen their communities, and drive real, lasting change,” said programme contributors Julia Rachel Ravelosoa and Zo Andrianjaka Tahiana Randrianatoandro.

From just 25,000 beneficiaries in 2014, the programmes now reach nearly 3.6 million people nationwide, rising to 7.2 million with crisis support, with around two-thirds of participants being women. Initiatives combining cash transfers, training, and coaching have helped women rebuild livelihoods, start small businesses, and gain financial skills, while education and health outcomes have improved, including a 12-percentage-point rise in school enrolment and a 5.4-percentage-point drop in child malnutrition. More than 20,000 women have also been trained as community leaders, driving local change and strengthening resilience across households and regions.