Logo UNICEF Innocenti
Office of Research-Innocenti
menu icon

Poverty and Exclusion among Urban Children

Poverty and Exclusion among Urban Children

 

Publication date: 10

Publication series:
Innocenti Digest

No. of pages: 32

Download the report

(PDF, 0.00 MB)(PDF, 0.00 MB)(PDF, 0.00 MB)(PDF, 0.00 MB)(ZIP, 0.00 MB)

Abstract

The cities of the world are often regarded as hubs of wealth and privilege, but they are also home to hundreds of millions of children for whom poverty and exclusion are a daily reality. Some of these children live on the street; many more live in dangerous, insanitary housing which often lacks the most basic amenities, including clean water and satisfactory sanitation. These urban children rarely have access to adequate services, including schooling, or to safe areas for play and recreation. The imperative of economic survival can mean not only that parents are unable to dedicate sufficient time to childcare, but also that children themselves are forced to work, often in hazardous conditions. Yet all this need not be the case: this Digest examines the potential of good urban governance founded upon human rights principles to promote positive change for and with children. The key to eradicating urban poverty and exclusion lies in the development of child-friendly cities where children’s rights are made a priority in budgeting, planning and resource allocation and where children’s voices inform the democratic process.
Available in:
English

More in this series: Innocenti Digest

Children and COVID-19 Research Library Quarterly Digest Issue 6
Publication

Children and COVID-19 Research Library Quarterly Digest Issue 6

This COVID-19 Digest explores this 'crisis of care'. It examines the evidence that has emerged in recent years on how COVID-19 has affected the care that women and children provide and receive. 12 studies, selected from the Innocenti's Children and COVID-19 Research Library, are highlighted to provide insights into several dimensions of the crisis that are highly relevant to children's well-being and that can provide lessons for responding to other types of crises that the world is facing or will face in the future. The pandemic, associated lockdowns, and other containment measures have had a disproportionate impact on the care and domestic work of women, particularly those who experience other intersecting inequalities, including race, class, gender identity, and location. This Digest examines the impact of the pandemic on gender imbalances in paid and unpaid work, focusing in particular on vulnerable and marginalized women and girls. Whether care and domestic work are unpaid in the home or paid, limited public or private investment in care services increases the cost of meeting families' care and domestic needs. These activities are overwhelmingly carried out by women and girls worldwide, affecting their educational and employment prospects and creating gender inequalities in leisure time. They are usually carried out without any monetary compensation or are paid at low rates. They are also likely to increase in the face of shocks and stresses such as those experienced by COVID-19.
Children and COVID-19 Research Library Quarterly Digest Issue 5
Publication

Children and COVID-19 Research Library Quarterly Digest Issue 5

Drawing on the UNICEF Innocenti Children and COVID-19 Research Library, this issue of the digest summarizes evidence of factors influencing caregiver decision-making attitudes and behaviours regarding vaccinating children and adolescents against COVID-19
Children and COVID-19 Research Library Quarterly Digest Issue 4: Marginalized girls’ learning and COVID-19
Publication

Children and COVID-19 Research Library Quarterly Digest Issue 4: Marginalized girls’ learning and COVID-19

Progress towards SDG 4 – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all – was already in jeopardy before COVID-19. The world was facing a learning crisis, with 48% of children unable to read and understand a simple text by the age of 10. For the most marginalized children, the learning crisis was even more severe. In low-income countries, 94% of girls (and 93% of boys) were not able to read by the age of 10, compared with 7% of girls (and 8% of boys) in high-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing disparities to the detriment of the girls and boys who were already being left behind. This digest spotlights 13 research papers, and summarizes lessons and evidence of the impacts of COVID-19 on marginalized girls’ learning, drawing from UNICEF Innocenti’s Children and COVID-19 Research Library launched in 2020.
Children and COVID-19 Research Library Quarterly Digest Issue 3: Children with Disabilities
Publication

Children and COVID-19 Research Library Quarterly Digest Issue 3: Children with Disabilities

This digest focuses on the emerging evidence of the impacts of COVID-19 on children with disabilities, drawing from UNICEF Innocenti’s Children and COVID-19 Research Library, launched in 2020.