Women and Children Cycle of Poverty UFMR Child Soldiers Child Labour The Vulnerable Ones Women and Children Cycle of Poverty UFMR Child Soldiers Child Labour

Roles of Women in Developing Countries Most developing countries have societies dominated by men Women and children have no legal rights and are often treated as property Work more than 12 hour days to ensure family survival Responsible for more than 2/3 of food production Support the family when men leave for migrant work Little access to education

Limited Access to Education Literacy rates are lower for women than men in the developing world young girls often kept home to look after the home and family while boys go to school Women who cannot read tend to have more children due to a limited understanding of contraception Kept in a cycle of poverty

Education is the Solution Education can help end the cycle of poverty for women and children Literacy rate and fertility rate are connected as Less children =more me time Better educated women tend to have fewer children and a better understanding of contraception Children of educated mothers are more likely to survive because their mothers know the importance of clean water and nutrition

Niger: The Poorest Country in the World Landlocked nation in Sahara Desert 28.7% literacy rate Life expectancy of 50.8 years Average income of 280$ US per year Half the population face food insecurity including missing meals, malnutrition, and famine 7.5 million people Survive on subsistence farming

Women in Niger 20% literacy rate Traditional Muslim society in which women must obey their husbands, fathers, brothers, and other male relatives Polygamy is widespread Average marrying age for women is 17.6 Average number of children is 7.75 Time is dedicated to raising and feeding children Little opportunity for education

Children in Developing Countries Often the first victims of underdevelopment High death rate in first 5 years Few educational opportunities Exploited as child labour and the sex trade No political or social power Dependent on adults Forced into armed conflict

Under Five Mortality Rate Children in developing countries are 13x more likely to die before 5 years old Africa has 19 /20 countries with the highest UFMR Most die from preventable causes Malnutrition Disease like measles Disease from poor sanitation Lack of hygiene Lack of clean water

Reducing the U5MR One of the UN Millennium Development Goals By 2/3 between 1990 and 2015 By 2009, 10 000 fewer children are dying every day compared to 1990 How? Immunizations including measles Insecticide treated bed netting to prevent malaria Vitamin A supplements Water treatment projects

Child Soldiers Each year at least 300 000 children and young adults under 18 are engaged in armed conflict Many in Africa These children fight as soldiers, attack civilians, get hooked on drugs, and can provide sexual services Often forced to kill their own families Employed in 75% of all armed conflict worldwide and 80% are under 15

Child Soldier Debate: Should they be allowed to volunteer to fight? Oppose Child Soldiers Support Child Soldiers Amnesty International and other human rights organizations want to outlaw the use of child soldiers and forbid recruitment before 18 Any volunteering is coerced Countries that have 16 year old soldiers oppose interventions Argue Africa’s population is generally younger than 18 and many tribal societies consider a 16 year old to be an adult Want to protect their homeland

Child Labour Children work to support their families in developing countries Abandoned or orphaned children steal, beg, and sell their bodies to survive Usually involved in dangerous work and conditions for long hours Subject to abuse Forced to work as bonded labour to pay off family debts Root causes of child labour are poverty and no access to education

Opposing Child Labour Restrictions A dozen countries including India, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Myanmar, and Somalia have refused to put international restrictions on child labour In many of these countries, child labour makes up 70% of the workforce Argue children want to work

The Gender Gap of Child Labour The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 100 million girls working as child labourers They are sometimes pulled out of school to earn money so their brothers can get an education They face the double burden of working and completing domestic duties at home Often involved in the sex trade