Addressing Child Poverty in the UK and GloballyPatrick Watt, November 24th 2010

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Save the Children and child poverty

‘I believe that we should claim certain rights for children and labour for their universal recognition.’

Eglantyne Jebb, founder of Save the Children, drafter of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child, 1923, which was the inspiration for the UN CRC

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UK and global child poverty: differences and shared challenges

• Absolute want – 99% of deaths of children before the age of five are in developing countries; 70 million children out of primary school in developing countries

But…

• The distinctions between developed and developing are being blurred

• Poverty as defined by capabilities and functionings highlights some common themes in terms of how children experience poverty

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Common [policy challenges

• How can we ensure that children survive and thrive in the formative early years?

• How can we ensure children are safe from neglect, abuse and exploitation?

• How can we break the intergenerational transmission of poverty by reaching children?

• How do we increase children’s resilience to shocks?

• How do we stop discrimination and structural disadvantage against children, on social or economic grounds?

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Save the Children’s approach

Innovate, advocate, replicate:

UK programme – addressing income poverty; tackling educational disadvantage

• Global programme – health, nutrition, education, protection

• Common communications and advocacy strategy towards the UK government – Poverty kills childhood campaign pre-election; new campaign to be launched in January 2010

Thank you for listening

Patrick Wattp.watt@savethechildren.org.uk