New York, 14 years oldFebruary 2024 – New data released today by the International Labor Organization (ILO), Save the Children and UNICEF reveals that around the world, 1.4 billion children aged 0 to 15 lack any form of social protection. exposed to disease, malnutrition and poverty;
In low-income countries, fewer than one in 10 children are old enough to qualify for child benefits, highlighting the wide disparities in coverage compared to the coverage enjoyed by children in high-income countries.
Child benefits are an important form of social protection and aim to promote children’s long-term well-being. Child benefits, paid in cash or tax credits, are essential for poverty reduction as well as access to health care, nutrition, quality education, water and sanitation. Moreover, these benefits support socio-economic development, especially in times of crisis.
In these situations, many children are deprived of the basic resources and services they need to escape poverty, leaving them exposed to long-term consequences such as hunger, malnutrition and unrealized potential. Masu. The three organizations are calling on governments to ensure that all children are protected by social protection mechanisms such as universal child benefit.
The data shows child benefit receipt rates have increased slightly globally over 14 years, from 20% in 2009 to 28.1% in 2023. But progress has been unequal. In low-income countries, participation rates remain shockingly low, around 9%. At the same time, 84.6 percent of children in high-income countries will be covered.
The coverage rate for children in countries highly vulnerable to climate impacts is one-third lower than the coverage rate for children in countries not classified as high risk. Ensuring children are included in social protection is key to protecting them from the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
“Globally, 333 million children live in extreme poverty, struggling to survive on less than US$2.15 per day, and nearly 1 billion children live in multidimensional poverty. At the current rate of progress, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals’ poverty targets is impossible. This is unacceptable. But ending child poverty is a policy choice. UNICEF’s Natalia Winder Rossi, Head of the Department of Social Policy and Social Protection, said: “Expanding the scope of social protection for children, including the gradual realization of a universal child benefit, is of vital importance in the fight against poverty. ”.
Regional breakdown of child benefit coverage from 2009 to 2023:
- In East Asia and the Pacific, the child allowance rate increased from 9.2% in 2009 to 16.0% in 2023.
- In Eastern and Southern Africa, coverage increased from 9.6 percent to 12.3 percent
- In West and Central Africa, coverage increased from 3.1% to 11.8%. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, coverage increased from 59.0% to 61.4%.
- In North America, coverage increased from 78.1 percent to 84.0 percent
- In Western Europe, coverage increased from 91.0 percent to 93.2 percent
During the same period, more significant improvements were seen in the following areas:
- In Latin America and the Caribbean, coverage increased from 30.8 percent to 41.9 percent
- in the Middle East and North Africa, from 22.7% to 32.5%;
- South Asia from 9.2% to 24.3%
“This is a crisis for the more than one billion children who are excluded from benefits and the countries in which they live. Effective policy-making is urgently needed to close the protection gap. Regional inequalities in coverage and progress are of serious concern, with improvements in child benefit coverage being modest in most regions and too many children still being left behind. ” said Shahla Razavi, Director of the ILO Department of Social Protection.
To step up efforts to monitor and reduce disparities in child benefit entitlements, Save the Children, the ILO and UNICEF will monitor children’s access to benefits and work with governments and donors to close the gap. Developed the Global Child Allowance Tracker, an online platform that makes the case. The announcement comes as the latest data shows that 829 million children around the world live in households with a per capita income of less than $3.65 per day, and progress in reducing child poverty has largely stalled. It was carried out at an important time.
“Child benefits support families to receive better nutrition, health, education and protection, and are key to realizing children’s rights and increasing their potential as adults. Unfortunately, many countries have not prioritized investing in social protection. Through our Child Benefits Tracker, we are helping to ensure that the world’s children “We highlight the scale of poverty in the world and examples of progress to encourage greater political will and investment in child-sensitive social protection systems,” said Save the Child Poverty Global Policy & said Advocacy Lead David Lambert Tumwesigye. Children International.
The three institutions call on policymakers and donors to take decisive action to achieve universal social protection for all children by:
- Rights-based, gender-sensitive, inclusive and shock-responsive to address inequalities and improve outcomes for children, including girls and women, children with disabilities, migrant children and child labor. Build a sustainable social protection system.
- To close the protection gap, we need to close the “funding gap.” This means investing in a universal child benefit is a proven and cost-effective way to combat child poverty and ensure children thrive.
- Provide comprehensive child benefits through the country’s social protection system and provide families with vital health and social services, including free or affordable quality childcare.
- Ensure sustainable financing for social protection systems by mobilizing domestic resources and increasing public investment in children.
- Strengthen social protection for parents and caregivers by guaranteeing access to decent work and appropriate benefits, including unemployment, sickness, maternity, disability and pension benefits.
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