Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, for many reasons, not least its challenging geographical terrain. It currently ranks 138 of 169 countries in the United Nations’ Human Development Index (UNDP 2010).
More than a third of Nepal’s 12.6 million children the foundation for tomorrow’s parents and leaders live below the national poverty line.
Measured by the factors that constitute a child’s well being, an even larger proportion of Nepal’s children suffer from severe malnutrition (just under 50% of children are short for their age or stunted), have inadequate access to schooling (10% of children do not attend school).
This study of child poverty and disparities in Nepal is an attempt to systematically identify the poverty and disparities that children experience and the shortfalls in outcomes.
The methodology applied in defining child poverty is based on that developed by Bristol University and adopted by UNICEF for its global study.
As noted, although the overall poverty trend showed an 11-percentage-point decline from 1995/96 to 31 per cent in 2003/04, the reduction in child poverty was only eight percentage points over the same period at 36 per cent in 2003/04 (CBS 2004).
The most important determinants of poverty are household size, educational status of the household head, ethnicity/caste, residency, and dependency ratio.
Applying the methodology developed by Bristol University, more than two-thirds of Nepalese children are severely deprived of at least one basic human need (shelter, sanitation, water, information, food, education, and health).
Measured by the absence of a toilet of any kind, over half of Nepal’s children (55.7% or 6.4 million) defecate in open spaces with obvious implications for the spread of diseases.
Nepal compares favourably with other South Asian countries in terms of the proportion of the national budget or GDP spent on education.
A large number of children have been affected by the conflict and thousands of children are in institutionalized child care centres.
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Publisher:
UNICEF, GoN, New ERA
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(2010
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Type / Script:
Progress Report
in English
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Keywords:
CHILD POVERTY, CHILD LABOUR, CHILD SURVIVAL, POVERTY, CONFLICT, MATERNAL MORTALITY, FOOD SECURITY, EDUCATION, HEALTH, PUBLIC SERVICES, CASTE, SANITATION, AGRICULTURE, ETHNIC GROUPS, NATURAL DISASTERS, HUMAN RIGHTS, CONSTITUTIONS, CHILD NUTRITION, CHILD WELFARE, LAWS, STREET CHILDREN, SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SOCIAL CONFLICT, CHILD PROTECTION, SOCIAL SECURITY, EQUITY, CHILD MORTALITY, SOCIAL GROUPS, NEONATAL DISEASES, IMMUNIZATION, MALNUTRITION, DISEASES
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Thematic Group:
UNICEF
:
Children Fund
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Thesaurus:
14.05.04
- Welfare And Social Services
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Reference Link:
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