Say Yes, Winter 2007: Editorial

Child poverty reduction and the elimination of the disadvantages and disparities that go along with it is a key investment for any country that aims to meet the challenges of development. Healthy, dynamic and competitive societies are built by children who grow up with the opportunity to thrive.

Studies reveal that countries with low social expenditures tend to have high child poverty rates whereas countries with high rates of social expenditure do not. There is also evidence to suggest that children of low income families are unlikely to break out of the poverty cycle when they reach adulthood themselves.

Child poverty rates are slowly dropping in Turkey, but 28% of children under fifteen–years–of–age were still living with the risk of poverty in 2005 and rates of child poverty are actually rising in rural areas.

Many reforms are needed if these children are to enjoy their rights to grow and develop to their full potential: social expenditures on health and education are far behind the rest of Europe, for example, and a system of child benefit targeting the poorest 20% would go a long way towards breaking the poverty cycle.

But the complex issue of child poverty will not be resolved simply by more effective fiscal policies. Perhaps the most critical change that Turkey could effect would be to meet the third Millennium Development Goal to achieve gender equality and empower women. As catalysts for change and defenders of children’s rights, the full and equal participation of women in the household, the workplace, education and the political sphere has proven to be the ‘grass roots’ solution to child poverty the world over.

The State of the World’s Children 2007 discusses how gender equality will advance all of the Millennium Development Goals, showing how the investment in women’s rights will produce a double dividend of advancing the rights of both women and children: Healthy, educated and empowered women are more likely to have healthy educated and confident daughters and sons the report argues.

The goals of poverty reduction, gender equality and sustainable development will remain beyond our reach, no matter the reforms in social expenditure, if women continue to be disempowered and deprived of their human rights.

Edmond McLoughney
UNICEF Representative, Turkey

PS: We’d very much like to hear readers reactions to this issue, so please feel free to contact us with your comments and suggestions.

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