UN Joint Programme Child and Gender Sensitive Social Protection Reform in the OECS Violet Speek-Warnery Deputy Barbados - 26 September, 2013

Principles of Child and Gender Sensitive Social Protection 1.Avoid adverse impacts on vulnerable children and women, and reduce or mitigate social and economic risks 2.Efficiencies of impact in ensuring policies are gender responsive 3.Intervene as early as possible where children are at risk and consider the age and gender specific risks and vulnerabilities of girls and boys 4.Mitigate the effects of shocks, exclusion and poverty on families 5.Make special provision to reach women and children who are particularly disadvantaged and excluded 6.Consider intra-household dynamics, with particular attention paid to the balance of power between women and men; 7.Include the voices and opinions of children, women and marginalized groups, their caregivers and youth in the understanding and design

Child Benefit Unemployment Protection Old Age/Invalidity Benefits Disability Health Social Protection Floor The Social Protection Floor promotes a two-dimensional strategy for the extension of social security, comprising a basic set of social guarantees:

UNICEF and UN Women in Partnership with World Bank and OECS Secretariat Country Level Social Safety Net Assessments – St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St, Kitts and Nevis, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda – Effectiveness and efficiency of the countries’ current safety net systems – highlighted the lack of focus on the poor, on women as heads of household and on children, – Consolidation and rationalization of existing social assistance policies and administrations - key priority for reform. 2009/2010-Economic Crisis

Together with the OECS Secretariat organized multiple technical workshop to support the implementation of the Social Safety Net Assessment recommendations: Social Protection Policy Formation Targeting Mechanisms (World Bank) Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Protection (CDB) 2010/2011-Economic Crisis

UN Joint Programme Enhancing Equity: Ensuring a Social Protection Floor for Poor and Disadvantaged Women, Men, Girls and Boys in Barbados and the OECS UNDAF Outcome Group on Social Protection and Poverty Reduction UNICEF and UN Women, in partnership with UNDP, ILO, FAO

UN Joint Programme Strengthening legal and policy frameworks Social Safety Net Policy Frameworks National Social Protection Strategies/Policies completed in St. Kitts & Nevis and Grenada. Draft Social Protection Policy prepared in St. Lucia. Discussions on Social Protection policy have commenced with the government in Antigua & Barbuda Legal review of social protection in OECS and Barbados- FAO

UN Joint Programme Enhanced Capacity to Monitor and Implement Social Protection Programmes Programme documents and Operations Manuals for Social Protection programmes are being revised/developed in St. Lucia and St. Kitts. Harmonization process underway for the various social assistance programmes in St. Lucia and SKN. Fiscal space analysis for Social Protection floor has commenced in St. Lucia to be completed in National Budget Analysis (Health, Education, Gender, Child Protection and Social Protection) initiated in St. Lucia to be completed by August 2014.

Upcoming Interventions Strengthening of Policy and Legal Frameworks: National Consultations in St. Lucia and St. Kitts on the gender and child dimensions of the Social Protection Policy, Social Protection/Social Development Acts to facilitate awareness and the Policies/Acts’ adoption. Enhanced capacities to monitor and implement: Refinement of beneficiary targeting instruments Social protection modelling/simulations Development of a child and gender responsive Social Protection Index for Eastern Caribbean States Consultation/Beneficiary Analysis: Work with authorities and Beneficiaries to identify bottlenecks in accessing Social Protection Child and gender budget statements UN Joint Programme

The Way Forward

Continue supporting national child and gender responsive social protection reform processes in Barbados and OECS. Strengthen existing programmes and schemes with particular focus on consolidation and harmonization of public cash-transfer programmes with a Puente-like component for indigent poor households. Establish linkages and coherence between social programmes; social assistance, health, pensions, education, nutrition, housing, employment, labour market programmes, gender equity, gender-based violence and child protection. Expand on access to services among disadvantaged children and adolescents (health, education, ECD). Critical Areas

Working poor- decent employment and entrepreneurship to prevent poverty and protection against social risks. Reformulate active labour market programs: promote gender responsive, active labour market policies and programmes and/or rationalization of existing programmes within an integrated social protection framework. Combining of ALM programmes with income replacement functions, where appropriate as well as assistance and incentives that promote participation in the formal labour market and promote school to work transition among adolescent and youth. Critical Areas

Capacity building of government and civil society professionals in human-rights based monitoring and evaluation systems for social protection and in the core social services areas. Consolidating on existing research and assessment (country and sub-regional level) and provide evidence (Social Protection and Expenditure Review and Social Budget Analysis) for Barbados and OECS. Fiscal Space and Costing for Social Protection Floor in Barbados and OECS Advocacy and assistance for implementation of select social protection floor guarantees in Barbados and the OECS Critical Areas

Key Challenges Politics of Social Protection From Social Safety Net System Reform to Social Protection Floor- from Social Welfare to Social Empowerment Sustainable Financing models of Social Protection Systems Measurement of social protection coverage - all disadvantaged children and their families supported out of poverty!

Social Data and Monitoring and Evaluation: -Multidimensional Poverty Measurement - MPM (UNDP, UN Women, CDB and OECS Commission): -Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, “enhance” Country Poverty Assessment, child-sensitive Multiple Poverty Index (MPI), and child poverty and disparity analysis -Administrative Data Systems- Education, Early Childhood Development, Child Abuse Management Systems, Juvenile Justice -Situation Analysis of Children -Results-based planning and Real-time data systems Eastern Caribbean Area Governments/ UNICEF ( )

Lifelong Learning under the The OECS Education Sector Strategy (OESS) -Early Childhood Development- quality universal access -Policies, standards and guidelines -Interactive curriculum and training -Supporting programming for outreach to the most disadvantaged -Evaluations -Child Friendly and Effective Schooling -School planning, behavoural management, HFLE, -Common CFS Monitoring Tool and Teacher’s Colleges -Nine countries - Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago -Education Management Information Systems Eastern Caribbean Area Governments/ UNICEF ( )

Child Protection A.Legislation and Policy -Translation of OECS Family Bills and CRC into national legislation and policy -CRC Reporting and Optional Protocols B.Child Protection Systems 1.Abuse and violence of children – - Child Protection System Mapping, Breaking the Silence Initiative- Child Sexual Abuse, Mandatory Reporting Protocols, Governance Structures, Ethical Reporting on Children, Child Protection in Emergencies, Child Protection in Sports 2.Juvenile Justice- laws, policies, diversion programmes and MIS C.Birth Registration -the catch-up campaigns and modernization - free bed-side registration, MIS Eastern Caribbean Area Governments/ UNICEF ( )

Thank You!