New report reveals number of children without critical social protection is increasing globally

BY PAUL JUNOR

Children are the most vulnerable sectors of our world and yet the least protected. A new report released by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) revealed a disturbing trend. The joint report by ILO and UNICEF titled, “Number of children without social protection increasing globally,” shows that more than 50 million children between the age of 0 and 15 have not been able to access child benefits.

The ILO is the UN agency that brings together governments, employers and workers to drive a human-centred approach to the future of work through employment creation, rights at work, and social protection and social dialogue. UNICEF according to its website: www.unicef.org is involved in over 190 countries and territories and works for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

Shahra Razavi, Director of the Social Protection at the ILO states, “Ultimately, strengthened efforts to ensure adequate investment in universal social protection for children, ideally through universal child benefits to support families at all times is the ethical and rational choice, and the one that paves the way to sustainable development and social justice.”

The report breaks down the areas of the world to draw attention to where the issue is most pressing. There was a significant reduction from 51% to 42% of coverage for children in Latin America and the Caribbean, while in Central Asia and Southern Asia; Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia; Sub-Saharan Africa; and Western Asia and Northern Africa the coverage rates were approximately 21%, 14%, 11% and 28% respectively since 2016. The report emphasizes that during times of crisis the social protection of children should be a priority and urgent matter.

Data mentioned in the report revealed that about 356 million children are having a difficult time surviving on less than US$1.90 (PPP) a day. In addition, a billion children live in multidimensional poverty, this means, without access to: education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, or water.

This was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased it further by 15%. While the pandemic forced governments to unveil new social protection programmes or altered current ones, there was not sufficient work done to ensure protection against future crises.

Natalia Winder-Rossi, UNICEF Director of Social Policy and Social Protection states,

“As families face increasing economic hardship, food insecurity, conflict, and climate-related disasters, universal child benefits can be a lifeline. There is an urgent need to strengthen, expand and invest in child-friendly and shock-responsive social protection systems. This is essential to protect children from living in poverty and increase resilience, particularly among the poorest households.”

ILO and UNICEF outlined a list of steps that policymakers can take to reverse the trend:

• Invest in child benefits, which offer a proven and cost-efficient way to combat child poverty and ensure children thrive
• Provide a comprehensive range of child benefits through national social protection systems that also connect families to crucial health and social services, such as free or affordable high-quality childcare
• Build social protection systems that are rights-based, gender-responsive, inclusive, and shock responsive to address inequities and deliver better results for girls and women, migrant children, and children in child labour
• Secure sustainable financing for social protection systems by mobilizing domestic resources, and increasing budget allocation for children
• Strengthen social protection for parents and caregivers by guaranteeing access to decent work and adequate benefits, including unemployment, sickness, maternity, disability, and pensions