Rights-Based Approach and Equity Re-Focus of UNICEF

1. Rights-Based Approach and Equity Re-Focus of UNICEF By Dr. Festo P. Kavishe, Deputy Regional Director UNICEF EAPRO, Bangkok, Thailand Presentation made at the UNICEF Meeting on Socio and Economic Policies for Child Rights with Equity, Royal Orchid Sheraton & Towers, Bangkok, Thailand, 16 July 2012

2. Outline • The Link between Rights-Based Approach (RBA) and Equity: Concepts and Definitions • RBA, Equity and UNICEF Re-Focus • Equity begins with children • The evidence: Narrowing the Gap • Equity focused programming • Galvanizing strategic Management for Equity • Tracking progress on the equity agenda (MoRES) 3. Some Concluding Reflections

3. Rights-Based Approach and Equity: Concepts, Definitions Rights-Based approach Equity-based approach Defn: Application of an equity-focused approach in the realization of child rights in programming. Scope: All children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach full potential without discrimination, bias or favoritism. . Focus is on FAIRNESS, SOCIAL JUSTICE and narrowing disparities starting with the most marginalized children. Inequities arise when certain population groups are unfairly or unjustly deprived of basic resources that are available to other groups. Equity is distinct from equality. Equality requires all to have same resources, while equity requires all to have same opportunity to access same resources. Concept of equity is universal with social justice as overriding theme. • Defn: Application of human rights principles in programming. • Scope: All children have the right to survive, develop and reach full potential regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, income, physical attributes, geographical location or other status. Focus is on UNIVERSALITY and progressive realization of rights. • Violations of child rights arise when the basic child rights are not realized as per CRC four principles: non-discrimination; best interest of the child; right to survive, grow and develop; and the right to participate/be heard; • Guiding principles: Accountability, Universality, indivisibility, and participation. Justice overriding theme.

4. Equity, Inequity and Equality (ref. Equity begins with children by Jan Vandermoortele, forthcoming chapter in book on Child Poverty by Policy Press 2011) • Though sometimes used interchangeably, they are different concepts. • Inequity highlights existence of unfair disparities; equity accepts differences that are earned fairly. • Inequality does not allow for differences in outcomes whether fairly or unfairly earned. Differences in life chances that stem from factors beyond the control of a person or for which the person cannot be held responsible (e.g. being male or female) are not accepted by the principle of equality, thus the term gender equality as being the correct terminology

5. Mathematically Speaking, an Equity-based approach is a sub-set of a Rights-based approach, emphasizing Refocus of the RBA RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH (The Set) EQUITY APPROACH (sub-set) Economic, Social, Cultural & Political context

6. Equity based refocus: Right in principle; right in practice • Conceptual Frameworks • Models: - Cause and effect • Deduction, consequences THEORY (PRINCIPLE) • Conceptual frameworks • Conventions & Covenants: CRC, CEDAW SCIENCE ETHICS • Reflection, meditation, dialogue • rights and equity based programmes, policies, legislation etc Observation, experimentation,` technology, learning by doing PRACTICE

7. Equity Approach: Interpreting the evidence Right in Principle Right in Practice High potential for accelerating progress towards meeting the MDGs at both national and sub-national levels. Cost-effective and has high returns on investment towards MDGs, in terms of lives saved per resource spent. Major challenge: is to scale up the practice, document and monitor progress; and evaluate results with adequate feedback for widening the triple A processes of assessment, analysis and action. • The Scientific and ethical basis is sound; • Because scientific models are based on hypothesis, premises or assumptions, a change in them calls for new models. • UNICEF’s new tested equity-refocus model for children reflects the universality precepts in the CRC and CEDAW in achieving universal coverage of basic services.

8. The evidence: Narrowing the Gap • An equity-focused approach improves returns on investment, averting many more child and maternal deaths and episodes of stunting than the current path (NB: <5MR, MMR, stunting are measures of national development). • Using an equity focused approach, a US $1 million investment in reducing under-five deaths in a low-income, high-mortality country would avert an estimated 60% more deaths than the current approach (more cost-effective than current path). • Children suffering from multiple deprivations (health, nutrition ,WASH, protection) are concentrated in the most excluded and deprived populations, providing children in these populations with essential services can accelerate progress towards the MDGs and reduce disparities within nations (enhances social cohesion of communities and nations).

9. Although the EAP region boasts of some of the fastest and historical economic growth rates in the world; has been relatively successful in fending off regional and global economic crises and made tremendous progress in the achievement of the MDGs, disparities persist and in many cases have widened. Evidence from the East Asia and Pacific Region

10. In Asia Pacific, inequality is increasing and the biggest number of the poor are paradoxically in MIC where progress has been the greatest! 2011

11. ….income inequalities have increased significantly MDG 1

12. A regional analysis of MDGs progress shows 4 main drivers of inequity in the Asia Pacific Region • Income Poverty has the strongest association with low achievement of all MDGs, underscoring the importance of poverty as the main underlying driver of inequity. • Geographical location is second: in some countries, the association between the poorest region/province (and often rural/urban) and the richest has similar or greater effect on MDG achievement than income (e.g in Cambodia, Mongolia, Nepal and Philippines); • Gender differences in achievement of MDGs is comparatively low in young ages (e.g. birth registration& immunization is similar in boys and girls), but increase considerably after childhood with large differences in men and women in the labour force and parliamentary participation. Son bias (leading to selective abortion of female fetuses, trafficking, and Gender-based violence also major issues). • Other drivers: In some countries there are disparities related ethnicity, religion,HIV/AIDS status, disabilities (physical & mental) and in some places caste.

13. Wealth as first key driver: Disparities in income Ratio of richest 20% to poorest 20% << Smaller Disparities - - Bigger Disparities>> Interpretation: Richest 20% in Cambodia earn 9 times more than poorest 20% etc! Source: World Bank, 2010

14. Geography as second major driver: (1) most of the poor live in rural and hard to reach areas. MDG 1

15. Geography as second major driver: (2) most of the wealth is concentrated in urban areas

16. Source: State of the World’s Children 2012. UNICEF

17. Gender (MDG3) as third driver: Gender disparities apparent when children start joining labour market and in political representation

18. %

19. MDGs 2 and 3: Disparities in Primary Education: Net Attendance Rate (%)

20. Disparities in secondary education – in order of importance:- 1. by Wealth (purple) 2. by Province (green) 3. Urban/rural (red) 4. Gender (blue)

21. %

22. MDG 5: Disparities in births attended by skilled personnel % Percent

23. MDG 6: Disparities in Knowledge of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission During Pregnancy, % of Women aged 15-49

24. MDG 7: Disparities in population with access to improved sanitation disparities (%) %

25. Policy Options for different types of disparities (Adapted from Mahesh Patel, Nov 2011

26. What is RBA and Equity Programming? • It is the systematic application of human rights and equity focused approaches to achieve results for children:- • To influence decisions and mobilize resources for advancement of child rights • To improve public policy (and Corporate social responsibility) for results for children • To promote positive social values and practices that lead to the realization of child rights and reduction of disparities. • To define accountability and track changes and results and use lessons derived for improving results for children. • Results for children are broadly defined to include the MDGs, MTSP areas (YCSD, Education & Gender Equity, HIV and AIDS, Child Protection and Social & Economic Policy) and the Core Commitments for children (CCC) in humanitarian situations…. in ways that are eco-friendly. Thus sustainable achievement of goals and overall development is crucial.

27. Rights and equity-based approaches have similar overarching strategies • They build on a wide range of strategic partnerships and alliances. • The approaches are integratedand inter-sectoral • Have participation and empowerment of rights holders: children, parents and families living in poverty as explicit objectives. • The voices of children, women and the poor must be heard and respected in all phases of programming (poor as active contributors to solution) • Aims for sustained outcomes and clear results. Sustainability depends on policies, priorities, practices and political commitment

28. An equity-focussed strategy needs to address: • societal factors and associated social dynamics i.e. social norms, behaviours, practices that are impeding access to services or fuelling discrimination and deprivations • services and systems i.e. services that are not reaching those who are most in need ? This requires analyzing and removing the barriers to access and underlying systems constraints (bottleneck and barrier analysis) • political and ideological issues i.e. the governance, accountability, policy, legislative etc issues that are not favouring equal opportunities for the disadvantaged children and communities.

29. Equity-based Programming begins with children • In aggregate terms, many countries have their MDGs on track and their economies are doing well “except for the people and especially the children in it”. Some call it the tyranny of the averages; others the fallacy of the mean! This “orthodox economic growth mediated development or as some people call it “predatory growth” produces inequalities with devastating effects on children resulting in intergenerational vicious cycles of poverty! • UNICEF believes that the vicious cycle can be turned into a virtuous one by ensuring that public and corporate policies and strategies that result in economic growth also addresses the multiple deprivations in children. At least they should not do any harm. An “equity-mediated growth” as a key instrument for national development and for enhancing social cohesion.

30. RBA Vs Equity focused programming Rights-based Programming Equity-based Programming Goal is to eliminate unfair and avoidable circumstances that deprive certain groups (children) of their rights. Strategy: seeks to understand and address root /basic causes of inequity to ensure equal opportunity to access resources and services for survival, growth and development (e.g. education, health, WASH, protection). Methodology: similar to the RBA • Goal is to ensure the rights of all children are realizedin terms of fulfilment, protection, facilitation and respect in both outcome and process. • Strategy: seeks to understand the causes (immediate, underlying and basic) of the situation at all levels of society and uses the most efficient and effective mix of: Capacity Development; Service Delivery; Advocacy/Mobilization ……to address with available resources factors affecting rights outcomes at the different levels • Methodology: Situation assessment and analysis of cause, capacity gaps, role & obligations, resource (human, financial, organizational), communication & advocacy

31. RBA and Equity focused programming are contextual • Programming from an equity perspective is contextual: political, social, economic and cultural • Causative factors for inequity are complex and include:-Income disparities, Geographical isolation, attribute and identity based risks (e.g. gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, orphanhood), culture and social “norms”, disasters, weak governance etc. • For children deprivations are often multiple and multidimensional, highest risk being income, geographical location (rural/urban, IDPs, migrants, refugees), identity and attributes risks (gender, ethnicity, disability, religion etc).

32. RBA & Equity programming principles • Evidence-based and/or evidence informed: • Situation analysis encompasses all rights: social, economic, cultural, political; • data is disaggregated to expose disparities and • a determination is made of whether policies, laws, practices and programmes are consistent with human rights, reduction of disparities and provide for the “progressive realization” of rights • An explicit definition and understanding by partners of their obligations • Adaptive: considers dynamism of the environment so approach is context specific • Results-Based: needs both good processes and good outcomes supported by strong M&E

33. What does equity refocus mean for UNICEF? • It means UNICEF needs to intensify efforts in:- • Situation Analysis and Child Poverty and Disparities Studies; • Engagement in national policy formulation and implementation; • Advocacy for equitable budgetary allocations and adequate social expenditure for MDGs; • Integration of policy work across sectoralprogrammes; • Support social protection systems (e.g. cash transfers); • Strengthening participation and empowerment among most deprived children and families from the community to the national level • It changes HOW Unicef does its work and not necessary “what” Unicef does. Note that an equity focus is already a key feature of UNICEF’s HRBAP and Mission Statement: ‘In everything we do, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority”.

34. Galvanizing strategic Management for Equity • Executive Director’s Leadership in the development of the evidence, GMT, advocating with strategic global partners and RO and CO leadership through, RMTs and CMTs… the Equity Funds, development of MoRES • Advocating the evidence through publications (e.g. Narrowing the Gap, Progress for Children, Q&A, the equity package, MoRES web-page etc) and strategic Meetings and dialogue with strategic partners; • Challenge now is to ensure incorporation into “normal programming process”.

35. Tracking progress on the equity agenda • Tracking rights and equity pose measurement challenges and results may be longer in coming. The universality, interdependence and indivisibility of rights requires not only measurement of rights fulfilled but of also of exclusion making it critical to have a good analytical approach to monitoring and evaluation and interpreting change. • Participation rights, requires a participatory process of monitoring and evaluation that includes rights holders (children) and duty-bearers (families, communities, civil society and the state) • Already a number of developments have taken place: • The Equity Tracker.. the equity traffic lights.. The Gender Marker • Critically the development of MoRES (Monitoring of Results in Equity System) will support systemic tracking of progress. Qstn: Can it deliver within national systems and really measure RESULTS?

36. Tracking progress in MoRES: monitor process before outcome EVALUATE OUTCOME e.g. on survival, development, equity) IMR, U5MR, stunting, equity reduction , etc. OUTCOME Level 4 Levels of status e.g. marriage age, quality of service MONITOR CHANGES IN STATUS Level 3 MONITOR COVERAGE (OUTPUTS) User rates, accessibility (coverage determines outcome) Efficiency & effectiveness : bottleneck and barrier analysis) (VERIFY & ADJUST) QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESS Capacity, resources (financial, human, organizational) (INTERVENE) STRATEGIC & HIGH IMPACT INTERVENTIONS (INPUTS) Level 2 Maternal, neonatal and child health; stunting, WASH, Education, Child Protection (DIAGNOSIS INCLUDING DETERMINANTS) FOCUS AREAS identified through Situation analysis Level 1

37. MoRES supports both a good process and good outcome! Outcome Human Rights &Equity based Programmes: Good outcome, good process This is where our programs should be!! Good Many Basic Needs Program No program should be here! Programs emphasizing process are here Bad Good Bad Process

38. Some Concluding Reflections on the equity approach • Human development must be equitable if it is to be sustainable, so “fairness”, an essential part of human well-being, must be considered a right (social justice); thus the equity approach must be grounded in human rights for it to be sustained. • It is critical that the Equity approach is applied within UNICEF’s programming process as part of the HRBAP and not as a parallel vertical approach; • While UNICEF’s “upstream” shift is important to adjust national policies, strategies, porgrammes, budgets and legal frameworks towards the equity approach, it is critical that this is balanced with sub-national community-centred efforts where most disparities are found and where scaled up interventions would have highest impact.. • Given UNICEF’s unique role in the equity agenda i.e. developing evidence as well as leading programmatic application, The evolving nature of the discourse requires that staff must continue to engage and contribute and not only wait for guidelines! (UNICEF has successfully taken similar double role in HRBAP). • UNICEF’s Equity refocus, taken to scale has great potential for accelerating progress towards achievement of MDGs and critically help define the global agenda beyond 2015;

39. Thank You