Kosovo Child Poverty Study

Unite for children

Lulzim Cela

UNICEF Kosovo Office

Kosovo Context: Facts and Figures

• 2.2 Million inhabitants, (90% Albanian, 4% Serbian 6 % Other)

• 50% younger than 25 y.• No Census since 1981, Guestimate Statistics, • General Poverty = 45; Extreme Poverty = 16.7• High IMR est. 35 to 49• High enrolment – high dropout at upper levels• High Unemployment = 44% of active

workforce• Poor Governance; Poor Economy; Scarce

Budgets; • Fragile Systems; Parallel K- Serbian Systems• Kosovo Status: Unilateral Declaration of

Independence, 47 Countries have recognized it. Not recognized by UN

Three Pillar Study Approach

In House Multi-sector Desk Review

Analysis HBS Data and Gov. Budgets

Child Participatory

Study

Cash Assistance Impact on Children

Review of Kosovo

Policies and BudgetsContribution to Global

Child Poverty StudyKosovo Child Poverty Study

Key Questions?

• How many Kosovo children live in poverty and extreme poverty?

• How do children see and experience poverty?

• What do children say? What do we hear?

• How does the social assistance affect child welfare?

• Which groups of children and their families are not reached by social assistance and why?

Review of WB Poverty Assessments, Analysis of WB – SOK HBS Data & Child Poverty Tables, Analysis of Government Budgets

Child Poverty and Extreme Poverty

Poor/cohort Kosovo 2005/6 and 2006/7

40

45

50

55

0 to 5 6 to 14 15 to 24 0 to 5 6 to 14 15 to 24

2005/6 2006/7

Poor/cohort

General Poverty

Child & Youth Extreme Poverty 2003/4 - 2006/7

10

15

20

2003-04 2005-06 2006-07

0 to 5

6 to 14

15 to 24

General

Poverty and Extreme Poverty Rates among children and youth are higher than of the general population.

I. Analysis of Quantitative Data

Child Extreme Poverty by Ethnicity

0 - 24 y. Ex. Poverty by Ethnicity 2003/4 - 2006/7

15.2 17.2

21.919.9

22.825.8

13.6

8.30

10

20

30

40

50

2003-2004 2005-2006 2006-2007

Albanian

Serbian

Other

General

Other`s have highest extreme poverty for all age cohorts in particular for U5!

Roma make the vast majority within that population!

U5 Children Extreme Poverty 2003/4 - 2006/7

13.916.6

13.9

17.9 17.9

42.837.3

42.8

0

10

20

30

40

50

2003 - 2004 2005-2006 2006-2007

Albanian

Serbian

Other

I. Analysis of Quantitative Data

Child Disability and Extreme Poverty

Disabled Children and Ex. Poverty 2003/4 - 2006/7

13.416.8 17.6

21.8

34.5

24.1

0

10

20

30

40

2003-4 2005-6 2006-7

0

1 ormore

Extreme Poverty is two times higher for families with disabled children!

II. Child Participatory Research

Research Question: How do children see and experience poverty?

Research Question: How do children see and experience poverty?

• Partnership with Save the Children

• Consultations with children, parents community representatives

• 4 multi-ethnic municipalities• 3 age groups • Thematic Apperception

Test, Use of drawings and focus group discussions

Children know that education is a way out of poverty.

Education can help erase poverty by improving one’s situation. Going on to university helps one to become what they want. But if you don’t have a good situation in life, you don’t go to school at all.

13 year old Roma girl

Children see differences among rich and poor at school

9 year old Ashkali boy

Sometimes poor children don’t know how to write while the rich ones know how to write. Children who don’t know how to write are yelled at by the teacher. The teacher beats them with a stick. There are cases when the teacher throws pupils out of class when they did not know how to write, and tells them not to come back without their parents.

18 year old Roma girl

Children leave school because of poverty.

When a child goes to school and doesn’t have books, clothes or shoes, he is not considered ‘proper’ to play with other kids. Teachers call parents if children don’t have books and that’s why children are leaving school – because they don’t have books.

III. Cash Assistance Impact on Children

Cooperation with two consultants from the Maastricht School of Governance and a team of Local Researchers.

Duration 6 months; Start Date: November 2008Key Questions to Answer:• How does the social assistance programme

affect child welfare?• Which groups of children and their families

are currently not able to access social assistance and why?

• What could be recommended modifications of the social assistance programme in order to reach greater numbers of children and have a greater impact on the children.

Critical Issues

From Research to Policy Questions

Research About children and

with childrenChilds voice: • “Teachers call parents if children don’t have

books and that’s why children are leaving school – because they don’t have books”.

Stats: • 50% of school-age children are poor,

while 18% are extremely poor!

What does this mean for policy makers?

Critical Issues

From Research to Policy Questions

Policy Questions ?• Why Government didn't buy

enough school books?• How are free schoolbooks being

targeted towards the poor? • How many of poor are reached?• Why poor families have to use their

income to buy school books?• How does it affect poor families income?• What % of income of poor families goes

to books? • How common is lack of books as a

factor that prevents access to school?

Influencing Decisions

Research about children

and with children

AdvocacyInfluencing

Policies and Budgets

Action -Intervention

CHILD

Policy Questions

Critical Issues

From Research to Child Impact