UNICEF Equity Focus: From Data to Policy Formulation

June 4, 2018Amjad Rabi

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

◼ Motivation

◼ UNICEF Equity Focus

◼ Lots of examples

Motivation

Motivation

◼ Conclusion:

– we need detailed information to make sound judgement in public

policy

– But structured in a way that is informative and guides policy

formulation

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

◼ Motivation

◼ UNICEF Equity Focus

◼ Lots of examples

◼ UNICEF will promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in

everything the organization does.

◼ The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and

excluded children and families, translates this commitment to

children's rights into action.

REALIZING THE RIGHTS OF EVERY CHILD

UNICEF EQUITY FOCUS

Conceptual Framework

Sources of Inequity

Material Deprivations

(income and

basic social services)

Yes No

Discrimination(gender, ethnicity,

disability,

noncitizen,

refugee,

orphanhood, etc.)

Yes

No

Who? Vulnerable

groups

What?

Multidimensional

VULNERABLE GROUPS

Who?

Economic Quintiles (income, wealth), Poor/non-poor

Sexual orientation and

gender identity

Male, female, LGBT

Educational attainment None, primary, secondary, diploma, university

Geography Residence (Urban/rural), Province

Ethnicity, religion, linguistic,

national

Dominant/non-dominant

Demographic Age groups, elderly/working age, children/adults

Status Parent’s occupation, type of employment

Ability People with disability

◼ Why focus on Vulnerable groups?

– National averages mask huge disparities between groups within a

country

– Disaggregating by ethnicity, region, educational level, etc. can lead

to more effective policies

– Mapping inequities can better focus interventions and services toensure universal access

VULNERABLE GROUPS

Why?

Note that this is after all social programs. The gaps will be even much wider in theabsence of the various programs

VULNERABLE GROUPS

Averages Mask Huge Disparities

Example 2:

Argentina:

On average,

things look

great, but..

VULNERABLE GROUPS

Example 3: Education Deprivation in Egypt

7.8

4.3

3.2

Q1

Perc

en

t

Education Deprivations

2000 2005 2008

Source: UNICEF, Trends of Child Poverty and Disparities in Egypt

– 28 % of children with disability have never attended school (compared with 3.2 % national average)

VULNERABLE GROUPS

Example 3: Education Deprivation in Egypt -Continued

1.4 1.41.9

2.2

6.7

5.00

Urban G. Urban LE Rural LE Urban UE Rural UE Frontier G.

Perc

en

t

By Location, 2008

6.5

1.8

0.8 0.6

Average (all children) =

3.2 %

No education Some primaryeducation

Some secondaryeducation

Secondary degreeand above

By Mothers Education, 2008

20.5

0.5

12.7

0.6

9.1

0.8

Q1 Q5

Perc

en

t

Education Deprivation by Wealth Quantiles

2000 2005 2008

4.32

11.50

4.20

5.60

2.4

4.10

Male Female

Perc

en

t

Education Deprivation by Sex

2000 2005 2008

VULNERABLE GROUPS

Example 3: Education Deprivation in Egypt -Continued

◼ Why Children Do not Go to School?

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

Cannot affordit

Parents do notwant

Work Health relatedreasons

Customs andtraditions

Don't want tolearn

Help withhousehold

Male

Female

VULNERABLE GROUP

Poverty in Malaysia

1957 2017

GDP per capita RM816 RM42,199

Poverty rate 50% 0.4% (2016)

U5 mortality rate [‘000] 111.2 8.6

Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia, ‘Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey Report 2016’, Putrajaya, October 2017, pp.129; Department of Statistics

Malaysia, Malaysia Economic Statistics, Time-Series Data, available at

https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/ctimeseries&menu_id=NHJlaGc2Rlg4ZXlGTjh1SU1kaWY5UT09

VULNERABLE GROUP

Poverty in Malaysia

VULNERABLE GROUP

Poverty in Malaysia

VULNERABLE GROUP

Poverty in Malaysia

VULNERABLE GROUP

Poverty in Malaysia

RELATIVE POVERTY IN OECD COUNTRIES AND

MALAYSIA, 2012

Source: MWCD and UNICEF, 2017

UNICEF EQUITY FOCUS

Conceptual Framework

Sources of Inequity

Material Deprivations

(income and

basic social services)

Yes No

Discrimination(gender, ethnicity,

disability,

noncitizen,

refugee,

orphanhood, etc.)

Yes

No

Who? Vulnerable

groups

What?

Multidimensional

MULTIDIMENSIONAL CHILD POVERTY

NUTRITION STATUS

FINDINGS FROM THE URBAN POVERTY STUDY

51% of childrenwho are 5 and 6 years old are not in preschool.

The UNICEF Urban Child Poverty and Deprivation Study

FINDINGS FROM THE URBAN POVERTY STUDY

Almost 4 in 10 householdswith children less than 5 years old have no toys.

The UNICEF Urban Child Poverty and Deprivation Study

FINDINGS FROM THE URBAN POVERTY STUDY

By Default, they are entitled for the national Social Assistance Program, BR1M

Yet, 4 out of 10 did NOTreceive it

The UNICEF Urban Child Poverty and Deprivation Study

POLICY RECOMMENDATION

SUGAR TAX

28 Countries Implemented Including Brunei, Philippines and Thailand

THE PROPOSAL: FISCAL NEUTRALITY

Revenue from SSB Tax Reinjected into Household Income

Universalchild careallowance

Taxes on sugar-

sweetened beverages

(SSB)

THE PROPOSAL: FISCAL NEUTRALITY

Revenue from SSB Tax Reinjected into Household Income

THE PROPOSAL

Costed Scenarios

Eligibility

2017

Monthly

Amount

(MR)

Number of Beneficiaries (in

thousands)

Expenditure

(% of GDP)

2017 2021 2031 2017 2021 2031

1000 Days

(From Pregnancy

until Under 2)

150

1,286.37 1,227.93

1,201.54

0.17% 0.13% 0.08%

200 0.23% 0.18% 0.11%

Under 5

150

2,082.19 2,074.4

2,040.32

0.34% 0.28% 0.17%

200 0.45% 0.37% 0.23%

THE PROPOSAL

Constructing a Social Protection Floor

THE PROPOSAL

Constructing a Social Protection Floor

1- Child grant: All

children under an

age cutoff receive a

monthly benefit

Universal Maternity

Benefit

Universal Social

Pension

SOCIAL PROTECTION AND SDGS

The Social Protection Agenda of the SDGs.

◼ Out of the 17 SDGs, 11 have a direct link to social protection

systems. 27 of the targets belonging to these 11 goals likewise have

a link to social protection.

◼ Goal 1 (“End poverty in all its forms everywhere.”)

– Target 1.3: “Implement nationally appropriate social protection

systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030

achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.”

◼ Goal 3 (“Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all

ages.”)

– Target Target 3.8, i.e. “Achieve universal health coverage,

including _financial risk protection, access to quality essential

health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and

affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.”

◼ Other goals and targets have a direct relationship to social protection

IF FURTHER FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, YOU CAN

ADD MORE BENEFITS

Costed Scenarios

SHARE OF PERSONS IN RELATIVE POVERTY, 2012

Before and After the Addition of Taxes and Transfers

Source: MWCD and UNICEF, 2017