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SAHRC Presentation: Study on Poverty Traps Among Children in South Africa

Learn about the study by SAHRC on poverty traps and social exclusion among children in South Africa, identifying key issues and necessary factors for children's development.

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SAHRC Presentation: Study on Poverty Traps Among Children in South Africa

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  1. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social DevelopmentStudy on Poverty Traps and Social Exclusion Among Children in South Africa SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  2. Introduction What is the mandate of the SAHRC and its interest in Social Development matters? SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  3. Introduction • SAHRC is established in terms of Chapter 9 of the Constitution; • SAHRC mandate is to promote, monitor and assess the observance, development, attainment and observance of human rights in the Republic; • SAHRC established a dedicated Children and Basic Education Desk; • Commissioner Lindiwe Mokate responsible for Child Rights and Basic Education. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  4. Background to the Study What are the socio-economic factors that the SAHRC observed that necessitated this Study? SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  5. Background to the Study • South Africa became a democratic country in 1994; • The new democratic government recorded certain gains in the reduction of poverty in the country; • However, disturbing evidence exists of considerable and deep-rooted and sustained poverty amongst children; • In 2013, the SAHRC partnered with UNICEF, with the assistance of the University of Stellenbosch, to study this phenomenon. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  6. Scope of the Study What did the Study seek to achieve? SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  7. The Poverty Traps and Social Exclusion Study The study set out to 2 (two) key things: • To determine the extent to which children in South Africa are still caught in a poverty trap or were socially excluded from economic and political life; • To determine the factors that enable poverty traps and social exclusion to be perpetuated in South Africa. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  8. Rationale for the Study What prompted the Commission to undertake this Study? SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  9. Rationale for the Study Observations made by the SAHRC: • Twenty years into democracy, race remains a predictor of future deprivation for today’s children; • Widespread income inequality persists; • Poor quality of education, and challenges in the access to education; • High levels of youth unemployment; SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  10. Rationale for the Study contd. 5. The economy has not grown rapidly enough to provide widespread employment; 6. The poor and unemployed tend to be the rural, uneducated, women and young forcing them to be excluded from the mainstream economy and society; 7. Children born into these families are at high risk of being caught in a poverty trap. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  11. Key Concepts Key concepts used in the Study. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  12. Some key Concepts used in the Study • Poverty trap: Any self-reinforcing mechanism that causes poverty to persist; • Chronic poverty: Poverty lasting for extended periods and that may persist indefinitely; • Structural poverty: A state of poverty where the means to greater wellbeing are not present. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  13. Some key Concepts in the Study contd. • Social exclusion: The process that excludes individuals or groups from full participation in the society in which they live. • Multi-dimensional poverty index: Apoverty measure that measures non-monetary deprivation; includes indicators of health, education , life satisfaction, asset holdings, employment status or other capabilities; assigns weights to each indicator and then aggregates them to give a single measure of deprivation. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  14. Key Issues What are the key issues that this Study identifies? SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  15. Key Issues Identified by Study The Report identifies 5 (five) key issues and factors that are necessary to provide children with an enabling environment to develop the social and cognitive skills to escape the cycle of inherited poverty: • Health; • Education; • Social and Family Influences; • Geographic Influences; • Wealth and Assets. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  16. Health • Adults and children in poor health carry those deficiencies throughout their life spans; • These deficiencies perpetuate and disable them from participating in productive activities that would serve to break the cycle of poverty. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  17. Education • Poor households are unlikely to invest in primary education or the early childhood development; • Education is necessary to prepare their children for a schooling career further perpetuating poverty; • Education is a powerful factor for promoting social mobility and dismantling poverty traps. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  18. Social and Family Influences • Children require an early environment that enables a child to develop potential for development; • Potential for development includes the presence of both parents in the household; • Adequate quantity and quality of nutritional intake; • Non exposure to violence or other psychologically scarring behaviours. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  19. Geographic Influences • Poverty is more debilitating in previously disadvantaged areas; • Weak local economies; • High local unemployment rate; • Poor access to government services; • Structural and environmental factors beyond the individual’s control. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  20. Wealth and Assets • Intangible assets such social capital are poverty trap mechanisms; • Low asset levels remain the clearest indicator of poverty; • Households that are liquidity and credit constrained are unable to make any kind of investment in education, land, or any other asset that may shift them out of poverty. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  21. Recommendations Policy Recommendations SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  22. Health and Nutrition • Encouragement of breastfeeding; • Improvement and monitoring of the quality of food provided to children at community-based ECD facilities. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  23. Pre-School Education • Improving educational foundation at pre-school and foundation-phase levels; • Formulation of clear, practical and innovative ECD policies and delivery approaches; • Training of teachers and ECD practitioners; • Improvement of quality and support in ECD facilities. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  24. Social Grants, Maintenance & Welfare Services • Increasing wealth and assets through social security, maintenance and other welfare services; • Provision of ID documents for young children; • State enforcement of payment child maintenance by absent fathers; • Long-term funding dispensation for welfare services; • Expand network of community workers active in rural areas. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  25. Spatial Factors and Municipal Infrastructure • Improve and develop adequate municipal and other infrastructure and services to all citizens, particularly poor households in rural areas and ECD facilities and schools. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  26. Way Forward SAHRC Submission to the Social Development Portfolio Committee SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  27. Proposed Way Forward • Portfolio Committee to endorse the recommendations of this Study; • Parliament to call upon the Executive to implement policy recommendations of this Study; • Parliament to consider additional funding allocations to enable the achievement of the recommendations made by the Study. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

  28. Thank you. Questions and Answers. SAHRC Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

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