Social Inclusion
The social inclusion program at UNICEF Gabon has a mandate that targets the well-being and respect of children’s rights.
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The challenge
While analyzing multi-dimensional poverty, indicators suggest that children endure multiple deprivations due to weak and inefficient social services, as well as the ineffectiveness of mechanisms of planning, and the allocation of available resources. The lack of data further stifles the initiative for robust monitoring systems.
Disparities in social inclusion in Gabon
- In 2015, the Gabon national poverty rate was nearly 38.5 per cent — more than a third of the population; with 45 per cent in rural areas and 30 per cent in urban areas.
- Children under 5 endure deprivation in the areas of health (42 per cent), sanitation (40 per cent), nutrition (35 per cent) and protection.
- 5 to 17-year-olds face deprivations of sanitation (40 per cent), protection (24 per cent) and education (23 per cent). Most of these children live in rural areas.
Despite the remarkable progress made over the years in Gabon, disparities are still prevalent.
The solution
UNICEF is working with key partners like the European Union, Africa Development Bank and the United Nations systems to invest in basic social services in Gabon. In our social inclusion program, we focus on public finances for children and policy dialogue. We believe in eradicating social disparities to improve the lives of children. We focus on accountability of public finances directly towards children and how more public entities can contribute to social inclusion.
Since 2015, UNICEF Gabon and the government of Gabon have worked together to strengthen the legal framework of social protection.
- An orientation law on national policy for social protection, describing the broad outlines of government on social protection, and giving orientation to the legislative, institutional and organizational framework of the social protection sector, is being adopted.
- The law on social protection was promulgated.