UN Panel must not let growing inequality squander historic opportunity to end poverty

New research following some of the world’s poorest children over a decade shows how inequality is holding back improvements in alleviating poverty, education, nutrition and food security, Save the Children warns.

Save the Children's new report “Growing Up with the Promise of the MDGs: Children’s hopes for the future of development”, is based on the Young Lives study of 12,000 children in four countries – India, Peru, Ethiopia and Vietnam – conducted over 15 years. It is released to coincide with the meeting of the UN High Level Panel on the Post-2015 development agenda in Bali. The Panel, co-chaired by the President of Indonesia, the President of Liberia and the British Prime Minister, is tasked with devising a new set of global development goals which will replace the existing framework that expires in 2015.

This study shows that economic growth does not automatically translate into improved lives for all children. For example, the wealthiest 20% of the population in Andhra Pradesh, India accrued wealth at three times the rate of the poorest 20% in 2009.

Key findings of the report were: 

• The poorest still suffer most from lack of nutrition: Deprived of the right number of calories with the right nutrients, the report shows that, despite having the highest numbers of stunted children and greatest potential for improvement, the poorest 40% of households reduced stunting at much slower rates than wealthier households. In Peru, by 2009, 1 in 15 of the least poor 40% of children were stunted, compared to a staggering 1 in 3 of the poorest 40% of children.

• In the area of education too, the poorest are left out: In Ethiopia for instance, literacy rates actually fell for the poorest 20% of children from 2002 to 2009, significantly widening the literacy gap between the richest and poorest children. This means a child in the 20% richest households is now almost 20 times more likely to be literate than a child in the 20% poorest households.

• Soaring inflation leading to food insecurity: Given soaring inflation rates over the last decade, the report showed that 1 in 4 households interviewed in Andhra Pradesh said that they worried about running out of food before they had the money to buy more, and 1 in 10 said they sometimes or frequently did not eat enough.

“Children are the most vulnerable to inequality because it directly impacts their early development and as a result, their future. The post-2015 framework must target more equal development outcomes for the poorest and most marginalised groups through specific targets and indicators”  

“The UN Panel commitment to eradicating extreme poverty cannot be realised unless there is a clear focus on reducing inequality that ensures  the access to basic rights among the most marginalised children,” said Michel Anglade, Campaigns and Advocacy Director, Asia, for Save the Children. “The UN Panel is in danger of willing the ends but not the means.”

The overall gap in terms of available income between the richest 10% and poorest 10% of children globally has grown by 35% since 1990, increasing their chances of suffering diseases, becoming mentally and physically stunted, and dropping out of school.[1]

Save the Children now warns that policies prioritising economic growth while ignoring tackling inequality will fail the most vulnerable children.  The MDGs rightly focussed attention on some specific children’s rights and this focus needs to be enhanced in the post-2015 agenda.

Michel Anglade said: “It is unacceptable that the poorest children are being left out of the great progress that has been achieved under the Millennium Development Goals. As the High Level Panel develops its recommendation on a future development framework, it must ensure that all segments of society benefit from development progress, especially the poorest and most vulnerable children.”

Save the Children has spokespeople available in Bali, Indonesia.  Please contact Lynette Lim at lynette.lim@savethechildren.org or +65 91864946 to arrange an interview.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

-  Young Lives is an international study of childhood poverty following the changing lives of 12,000 children in Ethiopia, India (in the state of Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam over 15 years. These were chosen to reflect a wide range of cultural, economic, geographical, political and social contexts. These follow trends typical of low and middle-income countries.

-  Young Lives is a longstanding partner of Save the Children and based at the University of Oxford.

-  The High Level Panel will meet in Bali, Indonesia between 25^th March and 27^th March 2013. The High-Level Panel has been appointed by the UN Secretary General to advise him on development of a post-2015 framework to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are 8 global development goals agreed in 2000 by the UN General Assembly.

-  In January, Save the Children was the first organisation to put forward a proposed framework for consideration by the panel and governments around the world. Save the Children proposes 10 goals:

o  Goal 1: By 2030 we will eradicate extreme poverty and reduce relative poverty through inclusive growth and decent work

o  Goal 2: By 2030 we will eradicate hunger, halve stunting, and ensure universal access to sustainable food, water and sanitation

o  Goal 3: By 2030 we will end preventable child and maternal mortality and provide basic healthcare for all

o  Goal 4: By 2030 we will ensure children everywhere receive quality education and have good learning outcomes

o  Goal 5: By 2030 we will ensure all children live a life free from all forms of violence, are protected in conflict and thrive in a safe family environment

o  Goal 6: By 2030 governance will be more open, accountable and inclusive

o  Goal 7: By 2030 we will establish effective global partnerships for development

o  Goal 8: By 2030 we will build disaster-resilient societies

o  Goal 9: By 2030 we will ensure a sustainable, healthy and resilient environment for all

o  Goal 10: By 2030 we will deliver sustainable energy to all

[1] Save the Children (2012), Born Equal: How reducing inequality could give our children a better future.