UNICEF’s Social Policy Agenda and the

Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities

Regional Workshop, Panama 1-2 July 2008

Gaspar Fajth Chief, Social Policy and Economic Analyses

Policy, Advocacy and Knowledge Management SectionUNICEF Division of Policy and Practice, New York

Themes

• The Context: Global challenges and opportunities

• The Context: UNICEF’s social policy agenda: 2006-2009

• The Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities

– Purpose

– Approach

– Networking and knowledge sharing opportunities

– Schedule

– Feedback so far

Global challenges and opportunities

• Global trends– Integration through trade and capital flows

– Rising and/or high inequalities

– Demographic change, migration

– New patterns of economic growth and employment

– Environmental risks, climate change

– Commodity boom/price hikes

– More volatility

Global challenges and opportunities

• Global opportunities – The international agenda

– South-led development

– Creating welfare states/inclusive societies in the south

– New surveys

– Evidence-based and child-sensitive policy making

UNICEF’s priorities (2006-2009 Strategic Plan) and the MDG’s

UNICEF Priorities (Focus Areas)

1. Young child survival and development

2. Basic education and gender equality

3. HIV/AIDS and children

4. Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse

5. Policy advocacy and partnerships for children’s rights

The MDGs

1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

2. Achieve Universal Primary Education

3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

4. Reduce Child Mortality

5. Improve Maternal Health

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases

7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability

8. Global Partnership for Development

Focus Area 5: Policy advocacy and partnerships for children’s rights 2006-

• Four key result (activity) areas– collecting data and information– supporting research and policy analysis– engaging in advocacy and policy dialogue with decision makers– supporting participation by children and young people

• Current thematic agenda:– Child poverty and disparities– Social protection– Social budgets– Decentralization– Migration– Legislative reforms for children’s rights

What do we mean by child poverty?

• UNICEF’s SOWC 2005 Child Poverty definition– Deprivation of resources

• Material• Spiritual• Emotional

– Outcome• Enjoy their rights• Achieve their full potential• Participate as equal members of society

UNICEF’s ‘implicit’ social policy objectives

1. Family upbringing The right to a family upbringing is realized for all children.

2. Access to basic social services All children have access to basic social services (nutrition, WES, health,

education, protective environment including family support/services).

3. Equity Equity-enhancing mechanism are in place (including gender-equity!)

4. Protection from risk and adversityChildren/families/communities are protected from and/or empowered to cope with

adversity, crises and dislocations, including those stemming from economic reform, instability of income/employment, migration or conflict.

5. Participation Children/families/communities participate in resources allocations, strategic

decisions and policymaking affecting them.

Underlying assumption current global trends and international policy frameworks will be slow or ineffective in addressing all these objectives!

UNICEF’s Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities

1. What is child poverty? How disparities affect children?

2. How could child poverty and disparities be addressed?

3. What are the best statistical surveys and methods to use?

4. How experts in different countries could share knowledge ?

5. How UNICEF should partner up to promote child rights at scales

globally?

Downloadable from: www.unicefglobalstudy.blogspot.com

Table of Contents Section I. Welcome to the Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities

Section II. Conceptual Framework

Section III. The Country Analysis

Section IV. Statistical Template

Section V. Policy Template

Annex 1. Detailed layout for Statistical Tables

Annex 2. Terms of Reference for work on the Templates and Country Report

Annex 3. List of Participating Countries/Offices and Focal Points

The Global Study Guide

Note: Flexibility and adaptation to local context encouraged!

A three-part approach to child poverty

CA

B

• Model A. Child poverty = overall poverty

• Model B. Child poverty = poverty of households with children

– OECD: children in hholds <50% of median income

– 4 out of 7 dimensions in Bristol’s deprivation model

• Model C. Child poverty = the ‘flip side’ of child well-being

– Bradshaw & al. composite indices

– UNICEF IRC Report Card#7

• Connects, complements different poverty conceptualizations – from a child perspective

• Considers the many actors and influences that simultaneously impact a child’s life

• Thinks multisectorally - how do policies and trends at different levels interact?

Advantages of a three-part approach

A-C B: household/ micro

C-B

A: national/macro C: individual child

Links to multidimensional poverty concepts• Money-metric poverty concepts suggest divisive strategy

• Income + deprivations: more cohesive approach?

Non-poor

poor

Child Poverty in Rich Countries

(UNICEF IRC 2007)1. Material well-being2. Health and safety3. Peer and family relationships4. Subjective well-being5. Behavior and risk

inco

me

population

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population

Country Analysis Outline

Overview

Part One: Children & Development1.1 Children, poverty and disparities1.2 The political, economic and institutional context 1.3 Macroeconomic strategies and resources allocation

Part Two: Poverty and Children2.1 Income poverty and deprivations affecting children 2.2 Child survival and equity2.3 Causal analysis: what factors explain the levels and trends in poverty?

Part Three: The Pillars of Child Wellbeing3.1 Nutrition 3.2 Health3.3 Child protection 3.4 Education3.5 Social Protection

Part Four: Addressing Child Poverty and Disparities - A Strategy for Results 4.1 What needs to be done4.2 How it could happen

Statistical Annex

POLICY TemplatePART A: CONTEXT, MACROECONOMICS AND FISCAL SPACE

Key contextual factors National poverty reduction and/or development strategy

PART B: POLICY SNAPSHOT Policy objectives, implementation, declared responsibilities, resources -- to support access, use, equity and efficacy of

1. child nutrition 2. health services for children and women 3. child protection 4. education services

-- to prevent/mitigate impact of risk, adversity and disadvantage through 5. family/household income and/or employment support

PART C: NATIONAL PROGRAMME INVENTORY Selected public programmes and/or public private partnerships aimed at supporting child outcomes by improving

access to and use, equity and efficacy of social services as well as protection from risk, adversity and chronic poverty

Statistical Template: example (‘Part Three’) Five outcome areas and 20 indicators proposed to look at disparities by sub-national / household / child individual correlates 1. Nutrition:

a. Child nutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight) and its correlates 2. Health:

a. Young child health (diorrhoea, ORT, fever, pneumonia treatment) and correlates, b. Adolescent health (HIV knowledge, counseling coverage on MCT) and correlates

3. Child protection: a. Birth registration and its correlates, b. Orphanhood, vulnerability and its correlates, c. Child labour (total, paid) and its correlates, d. Early marriage (before 15 and 18) and its correlates

4. Education: a. Net primary school attendance and correlates

5. Social Protection: a. women covered by health insurance, b. children receiving free medical supplies, c. any other data on social protection benefit coverage and correlates

Milestones in the Global Study

• Detailed guide with templates: September 2007• Country report plans, including advocacy• Regional meetings: early 2008• Country analyses first drafts: Summer 2008• Global training on policy analysis (Univ of Southampton)• Peer review, hands-on trainings Summer/Autumn 2008• Country reports, use and follow up – open ended • Regional and global analyses are also being planned

Child Poverty Networkchild-poverty@groups.dev-nets.org

43 Participating Countries with a network of over 200 members:Government Ministries - National Statistics Offices - AcademiaThink tanks – NGOs - UN Agencies - UNICEF

What the Global Study could achieve

1. IDEAS: Explore child poverty as a multidimensional concept – and

change the way policymakers think about poverty

2. AWARENESS AND ACTION: Explore the way poverty and disparities

impact on children lives in different countries – and show how it could

be addressed

3. STATISTICS: Make a better use of child/women centered statistical

surveys – and show gaps in information and knowledge

4. CAPACITY AND NETWOKING: Create a global network of experts –

and facilitate knowledge sharing and capacity building

5. UNICEF AND PARTNERS: Bring together UNICEF’s social policy

persons – and change the we partner up to promote child rights

THANK YOU!

Child Poverty Network: email/web/face-to-face child-poverty@dev-nets.org

? Help desk: email globalstudycpd@unicef.org

Contact–focal point HQ: Sharmila Kurukulasuriya (skurukulasuriya@unicef.org)

Global Study Blog: web http://www.unicefglobalstudy.blogspot.com/