Poverty

Seventy-four years after UNICEF was established and 31 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the organization’s mission to promote the full attainment of the rights of all children is as urgent as ever.  The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2018-2021 is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and charts a course…, In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed an era-defining challenge which has put a sobering spotlight on inequalities in every country, laying bare the increasing risk to children growing up in poverty, exclusion or conflict.  The most harmful effects have fallen on the poorest countries and communities. Those that were already marginalized and…, Ending child poverty by 2030, Icon representing poverty - child with an empty bowl 1 in 6 children in the world is living in extreme poverty Icon representing children - boy and girl holding hands Nearly 20% of children under 5 are extremely poor, compared to 7.9% of adults Icon representing chart - bar graph 1.2 billion children are estimated to be multidimensionally poor, up…, Child poverty in fragile contexts, While COVID-19 has had fundamental impacts on increasing child poverty, underlying threats of conflict, fragility and climate change are also crucial long-term drivers. About 40 percent of children who live in fragile and conflict-affected countries live in extreme poverty compared to 15 percent of children in other countries. With the impacts of…, Public finance for children, Icon representing government building - building with flag flying In 124 UNICEF country offices as part of the COVID-19 response, UNICEF worked with governments, development partners and International Financial Institutions to protect and leverage resources for children  Icon representing country office - shape of undefined country In 119…, Making public spending on children’s rights more efficient and effective, The COVID-19 crisis has created major pressure on public budgets and social sector spending as governments faced decreased revenues and increased pressure on spending for pandemic response. Focusing on efficiency and effectiveness of public budgets during the COVID-19 response and recovery has been key to ensure the sustainability of social sector…, Strengthening social protection systems, Icon representing cash transfer - hands protecting child 115 countries were supported with building inclusive and shock-responsive social protection systems supporting emergency responses Icon representing children - boy and girl holding hands Over 130.7 million children in 93 countries were reached through UNICEF-supported cash transfer…, UNICEF's support to build social protection systems, Supporting childcare and adolescent employability, UNICEF works towards enhancing quality childcare services and family-friendly policies, particularly for working mothers; and improving access to employment, job-placement and skills-development programmes for adolescents and youth. COVID-19 further increased the care burden on women and adolescent girls given that schools, childcare centres and…, Linking humanitarian cash transfers to social protection systems, Children in fragile and humanitarian contexts face additional vulnerabilities and strengthening social protection in these contexts is particularly important. For the first time, UNICEF has included social protection in its Core Commitments for Children in humanitarian contexts and worked in almost 80 countries to help ensure their social…, Promoting positive gender norms and socialization, Icon representing social norms - a man and a woman with a rainbow over their heads 49 UNICEF country programmes carried out interventions to confront gender-discriminatory roles and norms and promote positive gender socialization Icon representing children without parental care - two protective hands around a heart An estimated 2.6 million mothers…, Supporting children with disabilities to reach their full potential, Icon representing children with disabilities - child in a wheelchair 2.2 million children with disabilities across 144 countries reached with UNICEF disability-inclusive development and humanitarian programmes  Icon representing computer connected to the internet Over 152,000 children provided with assistive technology (AT) and accessible products…, Furthering inclusive education, Disability-inclusive education means that all children and adolescents with disabilities can enjoy their right to education on an equal basis with their peers. UNICEF works with partners to promote accessible and inclusive learning spaces and materials. More importantly, it works with teachers and school administrations to promote inclusive…, Reducing stigma and invisibility through advocacy and communication, Stigma and discrimination are key barriers to inclusion of girls and boys with disabilities. UNICEF works to transform attitudes and social norms around disability to support the full inclusion of children with disabilities in society. The COVID-19 crisis shifted many priorities and created an urgent need for inclusive Risk-Communication and…, Supporting adolescents to engage in shaping their future, Icon representing skills development - pencil and wrench 7.7 million children over 3.2 million girls – participated in UNICEF-supported skills development, empowerment and employability training programmes  Icon representing gender quality - male and femal symbols with equals symbol 61 countries supported to institutionalize gender-equitable…, Building skills and capacities of adolescents, UNICEF approaches skills-building by strengthening systems to integrate life skills into education systems, using community platforms to reach the most disadvantaged, working with adults to support adolescents and young people, applying experiential and innovative approaches, and using digital platforms. YuWaah - Generation Unlimited India YuWaah…, Looking forward, A young woman standing in a classroom in front of a blackboard A boy standing in front of solar panels and waving A girl standing in front of a white wall with colourful butterflies and flowers painted on it UNICEF will define its next Strategic Plan in 2021 addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic while contributing to accelerate the…, With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions of softly earmarked thematic funding received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express it's sincere appreciation for these contributions. June 2021, Global Annual Results Report 2020 GOAL AREA 5 Every child has an equitable chance in life Cover image: UNICEF/UNI389019/Mussap Telma Paz, 36 years old, and her children, 11, 9 and 4 years old, benefit from the Bono Familia programme granted by the Government of Guatemala, with support from UNICEF and the World Bank. Telma sells pancakes and works…

More than 70 years after UNICEF was established, the organization’s mission to promote the full attainment of the rights of all children is as urgent as ever. The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2018–2021 is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and charts a course towards attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the realization…, Building on the principle of leaving no one behind, results under UNICEF Goal Area 5 focuses on tackling key dimensions of discrimination and inequity that prevent the realization of children’s rights, while contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).   Goal Area 5 works to reduce child poverty, including by influencing public…, Results, The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) calls on States to guarantee the right of every child to social security and ‘a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development’. UNICEF Goal Area 5 programming aims to ensure that every child has a fair chance in life, by reducing child poverty,…, Child Poverty, Despite remarkable progress in poverty reduction globally in the past two decades, progress to reduce child poverty has stalled  in many parts of the world, particularly in regions plagued by conflict or unstable governance. Living in poverty profoundly impacts the full range of children’s rights, diminishing their life chances and ability to…, Public finance for children, Children’s rights can only be realized if states enact effective policies, legislation and programmes, and use public budgets to support implementation. The work UNICEF has done on Public Finance for Children (PF4C) supports countries to meet their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by influencing governments to…, Promoting sustainable investment on child rights, UNICEF works to ensure adequate expenditure on sectors and services that contribute to the realization of child rights in 84 countries. UNICEF uses evidence-based approaches to identify potential areas for flexibility so that funds can be directed towards social spending without jeopardizing the sustainability of current and future budgets. In…, Social Protection, UNICEF’s social protection work is focused on addressing financial barriers to children’s rights to education, health, nutrition and income security, and in supporting social protection system design to ensure it is inclusive and responds to protection risks and opportunities. In 2019, UNICEF continued working with governments to helps strengthen…, Gender Equality, A child wearing a toy medical kit sits on the floor of an Early Childhood Devleopment Centre in Bangladesh A critical barrier standing in the way towards greater equality is entrenched discriminatory gender norms. These norms and modes of behaviour govern every aspect of a child’s growing years – from how they dress, what they eat, how much girls…, Children with Disabilities, Globally, at least 10 per cent of all children have disabilities. Children with disabilities are one of the most excluded and marginalized groups,  and often face multiple challenges in realising their human rights. Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and aligned to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD),…, Furthering inclusive education, social policy and services, UNICEF has made considerable advancements advocating for and implementing inclusive programmes and services to ensure children with disabilities enjoy the same rights as their peers. Graphic representing disabilities 13,722 children with disabilities provided with assistive devices and 124,287 were reached through accessible emergency kits Graphic…, Adolescent Participation and Civic Engagement, "We showed that we are united and that we, young people, are unstoppable" Greta Thunberg, United Nations Youth Climate Summit, New York City, 21 September 2019 Adolescents (between the ages of 10 and 19) number 1.2 billion in the world today, making up 16 per cent of the world’s population. When adolescents are civically engaged, they individually…, Looking forward, The COVID-19 pandemic was in its initial stages at the end of 2019. It is now clear that the global crisis triggered by the pandemic is unprecedented. The effects of the pandemic are not limited to health but extend across the full range of children’s rights especially for the most disadvantaged, who are disproportionately impacted by the…, Global Annual Results Report 2019 GOAL AREA 5 Every child has an equitable chance in life Cover image: UNICEF/Zambia/2020/Schermbrucker Nola, a six-year-old living in Zambia, whose grandmother, Albertina, is the recipient of a UNICEF-supported cash transfer programme. In 2019, Zambia experienced below-normal rainfall, leading to widespread crop…