UNICEF Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities

1. EAPRO Regional Workshop - Bangkok Sharmila Kurukulasuriya [skurukulasuriya@unicef.org] Policy and Practice, May 2008 UNICEF Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities

2. Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities Agenda • Context • Child Poverty Network • Methodology • Analysis • Updates • Looking Ahead

3. Context Why focus on child poverty now? • Insufficient attention to child poverty • Persistent disparities • Emerging risks and new development opportunities • Demand for child-focused data – new surveys • Exchange of experiences / regional – global comparisons • Strengthening of UN/UNICEF’s contribution to development discourse • Need for child-centred socioeconomic analyses

4. Regional income poverty Source: WB, Global Monitoring Report 2008

5. Context Introducing the Global Study… • Launched in September 2007– initial results expected in June/July (first statistical and policy template received from Kyrgyzstan!) • Child poverty from two perspectives: outcomes and policy with a focus on children left behind • National ownership and Independence in Analysis • Linking people with complementary expertise and shared interests and goals • National, Regional and Global Analyses

6. child-poverty@groups.dev-nets.org Child Poverty Network 43 Participating Countries with a network of over 200 members: Government Ministries - National Statistics Offices - Academia Think tanks – NGOs - UN Agencies - UNICEF

7. Child poverty network Knowledge Sharing Objectives • Provide a forum to exchange ideas on child poverty • Exchange comparative experiences and good practices related to the process, analysis and advocacy of the global study • Link Country teams to cutting edge knowledge and innovations from centres of excellence around the world • Share resources and information on training opportunities, and other events

8. Methodology Statistical and Policy Templates • To identify linkages between economic and social policy and child outcomes. • Statistical Template: child outcome tabulations and relevant contextual information using data from MICS, DHS or relevant national surveys. • Policy Template: designed to assess existing national efforts aimed at reducing child poverty and disparities. • Focus on five areas of outcomes: • Income • Nutrition • Health • Child Protection • Education

9. Methodology • University of Bristol’s Role in the Study • The Bristol University produces a set of tables (20 out of the 45 statistical tables) to support the work of country teams using MICS/DHS data available • Discussion is underway with the Bristol team (and other International Partner institutes) on involvement in further support/collaboration • The Study uses – among other conceptualizations of child poverty and disparities – the so called “Bristol concept” Professor David Gordon & Shailen Nandy School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, UK dave.gordon@bristol.ac.uks.nandy@bristol.ac.uk

10. Methodology The “Bristol method” conceptualises deprivations as a continuum which ranges from no deprivation through mild, moderate and severe deprivation to extreme deprivation. Continuum of deprivation Based on the 1995 Social Summit declaration the method defined threshold measures of severe deprivation of basic human need for: • food • safe drinking water • sanitation facilities • health • shelter • education • information

11. Methodology • Operational Definitions of Severe Deprivation of Basic Human Needs for Children • Severe Shelter Deprivation – children in dwellings with five or more people per room (severe overcrowding) or with no flooring material (e.g. a mud floor). • Severe Water Deprivation - children who only had access to surface water (e.g. rivers) for drinking or who lived in households where the nearest source of water was more than 30 minutes round trip away (e.g. indicators of severe deprivation of water quality or quantity). • Severe Deprivation of Sanitation Facilities – children who had no access to a toilet of any kind in the vicinity of their dwelling, e.g. no private or communal toilets or latrines. • Severe Information Deprivation – children aged between 3 and 18 with no access to newspapers, radio or television or computers or phones at home. • Severe Food Deprivation– severely malnourished children whose heights and weights were more than 3 Standard Deviations below the median of the international reference population e.g. severe anthropometric failure. • Severe Health Deprivation – children who had not been immunised against any diseases or young children who had a recent illness and had not received any medical advice or treatment. • Severe Education Deprivation – children aged between 7 and 18 who had never been to school and were not currently attending school (e.g. no professional education of any kind

13. Regional income inequality Source: WB, Global Monitoring Report 2008

14. Analysis Country Analysis: Proposed Layout • Overview • Part One: Children & Development • 1.1 Children, poverty and disparities • 1.2 The political, economic and institutional context • 1.3 Macroeconomic strategies and resources allocation • Part Two: Poverty and Children • 2.1 Income poverty and deprivations affecting children • 2.2 Child survival and equity • 2.3 Causal analysis: what factors explain the levels and trends in poverty? • Part Three: The Pillars of Child Wellbeing • 3.1 Nutrition • 3.2 Health • 3.3 Child protection • 3.4 Education • 3.5 Social Protection • Part Four: Addressing Child Poverty and Disparities - A Strategy for Results • 4.1 What needs to be done • 4.2 How it could happen • Statistical Annex

15. Updates Regional Updates • WCARO, CEE/CIS, ESARO (internal) and ROSA have had regional workshops to discuss the global study (MENA and TACRO workshops planned) • New School/UNICEF Conference on Child Poverty (NY) + meeting on global study • Hands-on Training (planned) - tailored technical support (useful?) • TACRO had first technical meeting for their regional report • Additional Countries have joined the study – all are welcome!

16. Updates Country - Highlights Kyrgyzstan • Quality of education: School age children show decreasing levels of learning achievements over last seven years • Number of children deprived of parental care has increased in the last 10 years • Children are not explicitly featured in the main policy document • Policy initiatives do not address regional disparities • Information on program effectiveness is not available (coverage, costs, etc.) Sierra Leone • FGDs with140 children (boys and girls), aged 13-17 years • Issues: participation, defining poverty, protection, solutions • Findings: • poverty is getting worse • more children working to improve earnings • lack of involvement in decision making • occurrences of sexual abuse, corporal punishment • children define extreme poverty as a lack of access to a education

17. Looking Ahead Milestones Advocacy Strategy Regional Analyses Global Analyses Sept 07-Jan 08 Country teams Plans Feb-June 08 National-Regional- Global Workshops May-June 08 Data from Bristol June-July 08 Statistical-Policy Templates Aug-Sept 08 Draft country analyses, Peer review process, hands-on training Sept-Oct 08 Final Analysis Oct 08 - 2009 Advocacy/ Follow-up

18. Looking Ahead Translating evidence-based analysis and partnerships into results for children • Generate new country level evidence • Strengthen partnerships, networks • Mobilise national interest in child poverty work • Focus on children left behind • Target key decision makers • ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGE

19. Looking Ahead Over the next 2 days… • Taking time out from doing the work, to talk about the work, with the goal of enhancing the analysis • Learning lessons that can shape this region, other regions and the global analyses • Improving support from UNICEF’s regional – global teams and international partners / facilitate networking • Identifying opportunities for sharing and collaboration across countries • Setting an agenda and a strategy for the work ahead • Building a global team – building a common understanding

20. THANK YOU! ? Help desk: email globalstudycpd@unicef.org Global Study Blog: web http://www.unicefglobalstudy.blogspot.com/ Child Poverty Network: email/web/face-to-face child-poverty@dev-nets.org Contact–focal point HQ: Sharmila Kurukulasuriya (skurukulasuriya@unicef.org)