Child Poverty
Millions of children around the world miss out on their childhood as a result of poverty. Poverty deprives them of the capabilities needed to survive, develop and thrive. It prevents them from enjoying equal opportunities. It makes children more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, violence, discrimination and stigmatization. Children experience poverty as an environment that is damaging to their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual development. Therefore, expanding the definition of child poverty beyond traditional conceptualizations, such as low household income or low levels of consumption, is particularly important. And yet, child poverty is rarely differentiated from poverty in general and its special dimensions are seldom recognized. Children experience poverty with their hands, minds and hearts. Material poverty - for example, starting the day without a nutritious meal or engaging in hazardous labour - hinders emotional capacity as well as bodily growth. Living in an environment that provides little stimulation or emotional support to children, on the other hand, can remove many of the positive effects of growing up in a materially rich household. By discriminating against their participation in society and inhibiting their potential, poverty is a measure not only of children's suffering but also of their disempowerment. The threat to childhood from poverty, ill health and deprivation is multifaceted. The response has to be similarly all-embracing. What is needed is an integrated approach to early childhood that will greatly improve the chances that every child will both survive and thrive, additional spending on families, incorporating a gender perspective into poverty reduction strategies, strengthening protection of children at every level and involving them in devising solutions for their problems.
UNICEF, State of the World Children, 2005
Vocabulary:
1. to thrive = to succeed
2. disempowerment = asservissement