Support to vulnerable children
UNICEF in Turkmenistan works with the Government to advance the rights of vulnerable children to live in a nurturing family environment.
Challenge
In the area of social protection, the Government is implementing a number of national programmes aimed at socio-economic development and improving social and living conditions in rural areas. Every year pensions, social benefits, scholarships and wages in all sectors of the economy are raised by 10 per cent. The system of social guarantees in the country is universal and covers all categories of the population. Allowances are in place for large families, the elderly, sick, people with disabilities, no longer able to work or are not employed, including birth grants, benefits for young children under three and children with disabilities.
Social allowances in Turkmenistan have increased by 40-50 per cent since 2010.
Despite these gains, Turkmenistan is yet to have a fully efficient and effective social protection system. As with other essential services, the country aims at improving the quality of social services. Gaps in service provision between urban and rural areas and among different groups of the population remain. Turkmenistan has taken a range of important steps to harmonizing the national legislation with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Understanding the impact of social protection mechanisms and services, in particular, those related to children and families is the prioroity of the Government.
Overall, the social services for children require further improvement, including specialised care services for children with disabilities, such as the provision of specialised equipment, non-cash services, such as rehabilitation or other special needs through the expansion of social work profession.
Solution
Advancement of the social protection system, particularly through the expansion of the services available to the most vulnerable families with children is essential to attain the Sustainable Development Goals and to ensure no child is left behind.
UNICEF works with the Government to advance the rights of children to live free of violence, abuse and neglect and thrive in a safe and nurturing environment. Together with partners, UNICEF is using the latest research on gaps in social protection provision to strengthen family capacities for childcare and enhance access to essential services.
UNICEF addresses bottlenecks to social protection by fostering social work expertise and incorporating child protection standards in health and education.
UNICEF supports the development of regulations to guide the delivery of new services; amendments to existing laws and policies on the rights of persons with disabilities. As part of its work, UNICEF assesses the child protection system, including roles and accountabilities of concerned public organizations in the realization and monitoring of child rights.
UNICEF also fosters dialogue about child and social protection systems for disadvantaged children and international practice in this regard.
