Social protection for informal workers in pre and post COVID-19 period in Ghana, a literature review

The informal sector remains a key sector providing employment for the majority of the working population in Ghana, yet social protection to cushion workers in times of vulnerability remains contested. The pandemic, with its stringent physical and social distancing and lockdown measures, made the situation worse for these workers, but reports indicated that numbers in this sector continue to grow. It is evident that providing social protection for this sector cannot be ignored, hence the calls for governments and stakeholders to make an effort in this regard. This paper reviews the literature on state-provided social protection for informal workers in Ghana in the pre-and post-COVID-19 era, covering both social assistance programmes and contributory schemes. The methodology involves a comprehensive and integrated examination of existing literature from various domains. It was found that two main contributory social protection programmes exist that specifically target informal sector workers. The rest of the programmes in the country indirectly benefit informal workers; nevertheless, the majority find themselves in a "missing middle" situation in terms of accessibility. Policy suggestions and areas for further studies are suggested.