Definition of Social Policy.

Social Policy is defined as actions that affect the well-being of members of a society through shaping the distribution of and access to goods and resources in that society (). Social policy also primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. It is also described as public policy and practice in the areas of health care, human services, criminal justice, inequality, education, and labor. According to .. Social Policy is the study of social services and the welfare state. In general terms, it looks at the idea of social welfare, and its relationship to politics and society. More specifically, it also considers detailed issues in policy and administration of social services, including policies for health, housing, income maintenance, education and social work; needs and issues affecting the users of services, including poverty, old age, health, disability, and family policy; and the delivery of welfare. According to .Social policy relates to guidelines for the changing, maintenance or creation of living conditions that are conducive to human welfare. Thus social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues such as public access to social programs. Social policy aims to improve human welfare and to meet human needs for education, health, housing and social security. In an academic environment, social policy refers to the study of the welfare state and the range of responses to social need.
Social policy during post and pre apartheid era

According to .. during the apartheid era social policy research was either actively discouraged by the government (as it exposed the social consequences of apartheid) or had limited opportunities to develop due to the lack of publicly available data to inform analysis. With the consolidation of the post-apartheid democratic government a need has now arisen for evidence-based social policy analysis to inform the development of new social policies and review the effectiveness of existing policies. There is also transparency now in the collection and dissemination of data to inform policy-making. As there is no strong tradition of social policy analysis in South Africa, there is a need for academic institutions which have a longstanding history of conducting high quality social policy research and teaching to work in partnership with the South African Government and academic institutions.

SOCIAL POLICY PROMOTION AND EQUALITY The equality debate in the context of government procurement is not a new phenomenon. In the South African context, the equality debate has surfaced particularly in view of the fact that the Constitution guarantees the right to equal treatment. Section 9 provides that: (1) Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law. (2) Equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. To promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance persons, or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken. (3) The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth. (4) No person may unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds in terms of subsection. National legislation must be enacted to prevent or prohibit unfair discrimination. (5) Discrimination on one or more of the grounds listed in subsection is unfair unless it is established that the discrimination is fair.