Social Protection for Children

Latest Context

• According to a new ILO-UNICEF analysis, there is still a social protection coverage gap of 1.5 billion children who are not receiving family or child cash payments.
• According to a recent report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children's Fund, social protection lessens family poverty and vulnerability, which lessens one of the main causes of child labour (UNICEF).
• In a recent report titled "More than a billion reasons: The urgent need to build universal social protection for children," the ILO and UNICEF found that only 1 in 4 children are protected by social protection, leaving the remaining children vulnerable to poverty, exclusion, and multidimensional deprivations.

Highlight of the Report

• Regional Disparities: There are significant and alarming geographical differences in how well children are protected by social services.
• Coverage in the Americas is 57.4%.
• With 15.4%, coverage in the Arab States is still quite low.
• The current coverage rate in Asia and the Pacific is 18.0%.
• Shock Responsiveness: The need for shock-responsive social safety systems is important given that 73% of the world's extremely poor and 24% of the population now live in unstable environments.
• This covers humanitarian aid, cash transfers for humanitarian purposes, as well as the operational and policy frameworks that enable the inclusion of populations affected by disasters.
• Gender Gap: Girls and women have experienced a disproportionate number of catastrophes. They suffer numerous structural obstacles that prevent gender equality, as well as higher poverty rates than boys and men.
• Children with disabilities: Children who have a disability or who live with a family member who has a disability are more likely to experience poverty and suffer financial obstacles to living a complete life, but they are also less likely to obtain adequate social protection.

World Scenario

• A crucial component of a social safety system, child or family cash benefits, are inaccessible to 1.77 billion children between the ages of 0 and 18 years.
• Extreme poverty is twice as likely to affect children as it is adults.
• Over 800 million children live in poverty, defined as earning less than USD 3.20 per day, while 1 billion children live in multidimensional poverty.
• Only 26.4% of children aged 0 to 15 are covered by social protection, leaving 73.6% of them vulnerable to multidimensional deprivations, poverty, and marginalisation.
• To be healthy and happy, all 2.4 billion children worldwide require social protection.

India-Specific Data in the Study

• The national "PM CARES for Children" initiative had been put into effect, according to the report, in 31 Indian states. Only 4,302 kids have benefited from the programme thus far.

Suggestion of the Report

• close the gap in children's social protection coverage. This entails giving child benefits top priority and providing social protection to the two billion people who work in the informal economy to aid their transition to the formal economy.
• Create social protection systems that are integrated. Countries with social security systems that offer sufficient benefits at every stage of life—from child and family benefits, maternity and unemployment benefits, old-age pensions, and health protection—will find it simpler to reduce child labour.
• Make sure that programmes for social protection are inclusive and mindful of child labour. This will maximise the elimination of child labour.
• Make that social protection systems are adequately funded fairly and sustainably to enable the essential investment in children's social protection.
• Provide social protection systems that are based on human rights, inclusive of all people, gender-responsive, influenced by social discussion, and capable of quickly responding to a variety of emergencies.
• To improve the financial security of parents, carers, and their families, make sure that social protection mechanisms are modified to reflect changes in the workplace.

What is the Need of Social Protection

• It gives households resilience, enables them to increase their output and income potential, and reduces the chance that poverty will be passed down from generation to generation.
• Expanding human potential and production requires investment in social protection for children. Moreover, it promotes economic expansion, resulting in more resilient tax and transfer regimes.
• It is also a crucial base for enabling the potential of the world's most defenceless youngsters.
• Access to food, nutrition, education, and healthcare is made easier with the aid of social protection.

In addition to addressing the causes of gender inequality and exclusion, it can aid in the prevention of child labour and child marriage.