Context

• Child poverty refers to the state of children living in poverty and applies to children from poor families and orphans being raised with limited or no state resources.
• According to UNICEF, across the world, about 1 billion children are “multidimensionally” poor, meaning they lack necessities as basic as nutritious food or clean water.

Global scenario

• World Bank and UNICEF estimated that every second extremely poor individual in the world is a child, surviving on less than US$2.15 a day.
• Extreme child poverty is more prevalent in poor and least-developed countries, mostly in Africa and Asia.
• In 2022, Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 75 percent of the world’s child population living in extreme poverty.
• Child Poverty in the Midst of Wealth”, shows that child poverty is widely prevalent in the high-income and upper-middle-income countries of the EU and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Indian Scenario

• India reduced its extreme child poverty rate by just 0.2 percent in six years (2017-22), according to the World Bank and UNICEF.

Reasons for the Prevalence of Child Poverty

• Economic Inequality: Children in families with lower incomes often lack access to necessities such as adequate nutrition, healthcare, and education.
• Unemployment and Low Wages: Parents or caregivers facing unemployment or earning low wages may struggle to meet the financial needs of their children. Insufficient income affects a family’s ability to provide a stable and supportive environment.
• Healthcare Access: Limited access to healthcare services, including preventive care and treatment, can result in health issues for children, exacerbating the effects of poverty. High medical expenses can further strain family budgets.
• Discrimination and Social Exclusion: Discrimination based on factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, or disability can contribute to social exclusion and limit opportunities for families and children, leading to higher rates of poverty among marginalized groups.

Implications of child poverty

• Child Labor and Exploitation: Economic desperation may force children into labor at an early age, depriving them of educational opportunities and perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

• Nutritional Deficiencies: Inadequate access to nutritious food can result in malnutrition, and stunted growth, affecting physical and mental development.

• Reduced Economic Mobility: Child poverty can limit economic mobility in adulthood. Children who grow up in poverty may face barriers to securing well-paying jobs and may be more likely to experience poverty in their own families.
• Increased Risk of Juvenile Delinquency: Children in poverty may face increased risks of engaging in delinquent behavior. Factors such as limited access to positive role models, educational challenges, and environmental stressors can contribute to juvenile delinquency.

Government measures

• Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016: It aims to completely prohibits the employment of children below 14 years. The amendment also prohibits the employment of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes and regulates their working conditions where they are not prohibited. The amendment also provides stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act.
• Samagra Shiksha: Launched in 2018, it is an overarching program for the school education sector extending from preschool to class 12.