Equal opportunities for children

"All children have rights, regardless of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status (Article 2). "All children have a right to life, and to survive and develop - physically, mentally, spiritually, morally, psychologically and socially - to their full potential" (Article 6). — The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC):
Every child is born with the same inalienable right to a healthy start in life - an education and a safe, secure childhood - all the basic opportunities that translate into a productive and prosperous adulthood. But around the world today, millions of children are denied their rights and deprived of everything they need to grow up healthy and strong - because of their place of birth or their family of origin; because of their race, ethnicity or gender; or because they live in poverty or with a disability.
How do these deprivations and inequities manifest themselves in the life of a child, on the journey to adulthood? The evidence is all around us, in the form of cycles of deprivation that are transmitted from one generation to the next, deepening inequality that threatens societies everywhere. A child deprived of immunisation or safe water may not live to see his fifth birthday, or may live a life of diminished health. A child deprived of adequate nutrition may never reach his full physical or cognitive potential, limiting his ability to learn and earn. A child deprived of quality education may never gain the skills she needs to succeed someday in the workplace or send her own children to school. And a child deprived of protection - from conflict, violence or abuse, from exploitation and discrimination, from child labour, or early marriage and motherhood - may be physically and emotionally scarred for life, with profound consequences.
The UNICEF's State of the World's Children 2016 report argues that different outcomes, and a better world for all children, are possible if a fair chance for every child can be ensured. Inequity is not inevitable, if governments invest in expanding opportunity for every child - shifting policies, programming and public spending priorities so the most disadvantaged have a chance to catch up with the most advantaged. The report begins with the most glaring inequity of all - disparities in child survival - and goes on to explore the underlying determinants of preventable child mortality. It argues that to meet the 2030 child survival target, we must urgently address persistent disparities in maternal health, the availability of skilled birth attendants, adequate nutrition and access to basic services, as well as other factors such as discrimination, exclusion and a lack of knowledge about child feeding and the role of safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene in preventing childhood disease.
The discussion continues with a look at one of the most effective instruments of development and the greatest equaliser of opportunity: Education. Without quality education, disadvantaged children are far more likely to be trapped as adults in low-skilled, poorly paid and insecure employment, preventing them from breaking intergenerational cycles of disadvantage. But a greater focus on early childhood development, on increasing education access and quality, and on providing education in emergencies will yield cascading benefits for both this generation and the next. Having discussed two of the most glaring deprivations children face, this report then examines child poverty in all its dimensions - and the role social protection programmes play in reducing it. Arguing that child poverty is about more than income, it presents a case for combining measures to reduce income poverty with integrated solutions to the many deprivations experienced by children living in poverty.
The report concludes with a set of principles to guide more equity-focused policy, planning and public spending. These broad principles include: 1) expanding information about who is being left behind and why; 2) improving integration to tackle the multiple dimensions of deprivation; 3) fostering and fuelling innovation to reach the hardest-to-reach children; 4) increasing investment in equity-focused programmes; and 5) driving involvement by communities and citizens around the world. These principles are a guide --- more than a blueprint, but they can help shape policy, frame priorities and inform the debate about the best way to deliver on the promise of the '2030 Sustainable Development Goals' and secure a better future for all children.
This well-documented UNICEF publication clearly indicates that inequity is neither inevitable nor insurmountable. With the right investments, at the right time, disadvantaged children can realise their rights to a better life. By reducing the inequities that violate their rights today, such investments can help these children lead more productive lives as adults and enable them to pass on more opportunities to their children, thus replacing intergenerational cycles of deprivation with sustainable cycles of opportunity.
The writer is an independent researcher.
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The State of the World's Children 2016: A Fair Chance for Every Child
Published by UNICEF, June 2016
 Pages 184, ISBN: 978-92-806-4838-6