1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

10. Reducing the U5MR One of the UN Millennium Development Goals
By 2/3 between 1990 and 2015
By 2009, 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

11. Child Soldiers
Each year at least 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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