2024-02-18 01:52:49
333 million children live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than US$2.15 a day
1.4 billion children worldwide under the age of 15 lack any form of social protection, making them vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and poverty.
This is shown by new data published yesterday by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the organization “Save the Children” and UNICEF.
In low-income countries, less than one in ten children have access to child benefit, showing a significant gap compared to the coverage enjoyed by children in high-income countries.
Child benefit is an important form of social protection designed to promote the long-term well-being of children. Provided in the form of cash or tax credits, child benefits are essential for reducing poverty, as well as for access to health care, nutrition, quality education, water and sanitation. In addition, these benefits support socio-economic development, especially in times of crisis.
Many children are deprived of the basic resources and services they need to escape poverty and are therefore exposed to the long-term impact of hunger, malnutrition and unfulfilled potential. The three organizations are calling on governments to ensure that all children are protected by social protection mechanisms, including through universal child benefits.
The data shows that over a 14-year period, there has been modest growth in access to child benefit globally, from 20% in 2009 to 28.1% in 2023. However, progress has been uneven. In low-income countries, the percentage of persons covered remains low – around 9%. At the same time, 84.6% of children in high-income countries are covered.
Coverage rates for children in countries highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are a third lower than in countries not classified as high risk. Providing children with social protection is key to protecting them from the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
“Globally, there are 333 million children living in extreme poverty, struggling to survive on less than US$2.15 a day, and nearly one billion children living in multidimensional poverty. At the current rate of progress, achieving the poverty targets of the Sustainable Development Goals is unattainable. This is unacceptable. Ending child poverty is, however, a political choice. Expanding the scope of social protection for children in the fight against poverty is critical, including the gradual implementation of universal child benefits.” said Natalia Winder Rossi, Director of Social Policy and Social Protection at UNICEF.
“This is a crisis for almost one billion children who are not covered by benefits and for the countries in which they live,” said Shahra Razavi, director of the ILO’s social protection division. “There is an urgent need for effective policy to help us close the protection gap. Regional disparities in coverage and progress are a serious concern – improvement in child benefit coverage has been marginal in most regions and too many children are still being left behind. “
The three agencies call for decisive steps to be taken to achieve universal social protection for all children by:
- Building rights-based, gender-responsive and shock-responsive social protection systems to address inequalities and achieve better outcomes for girls and women, children with disabilities, migrant children and child laborers , among others.
- Bridging the protection gaps requires filling the “funding gap”. This means investing in child benefit for all children, which offers a proven and cost-effective way to tackle child poverty and ensure children’s well-being.
- Providing a comprehensive range of child benefits through national social protection systems that also link families to important health and social services, such as free or affordable high-quality childcare.
- Ensuring sustainable financing of social protection systems by mobilizing domestic resources and increasing public investment in children.
- Strengthen social protection for parents and carers by ensuring access to decent work and adequate benefits, including for unemployment, sickness, maternity, disability and pensions.