Situation Analysis of Children in Kiribati ©United Nations Children’S Fund (UNICEF), Pacific Office, Suva
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Situation Analysis of Children in Kiribati ©United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Pacific Office, Suva December 2017 This report was written by Kirsten Anderson, Ruth Barnes, Awaz Raoof and Carolyn Hamilton, with the assistance of Laura Mertsching, Jorun Arndt, Karin Frode, Safya Benniche and Kristiana Papi. Maurice Dunaiski contributed to the chapters on Health and WASH. Further revision to the Child Protection chapter was done by Shelley Casey. The report was commissioned by UNICEF Pacific, which engaged Coram International, at Coram Children’s Legal Centre, to finalize the Kiribati Situation Analysis. The Situational Analyses were managed by a Steering Committee within UNICEF Pacific and UNICEF EAPRO, whose members included Andrew Colin Parker; Gerda Binder (EAPRO); Iosefo Volau; Laisani Petersen; Lemuel Fyodor Villamar; Maria Carmelita Francois; Settasak Akanimart; Stanley Gwavuya (Vice Chair), Stephanie Kleschnitzki (EAPRO); Uma Palaniappan; Vathinee Jitjaturunt (Chair); and Waqairapoa Tikoisuva. The contents of the report do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of UNICEF. UNICEF accepts no responsibility for error. Any part of this publication may be freely reproduced with appropriate acknowledgement. Suggested citation. United Nations Children’s Fund, Situation Analysis of Children in Kiribati, UNICEF, Suva, 2017 Cover Image: ©UNICEF/UN0202151/Sokhin Situation Analysis of Children in Kiribati 2 Situation Analysis of Children in Kiribati Table of Contents Executive Summary _______________________________________________________________ 4 Acronyms _________________________________________________________________________ 8 1. Introduction _______________________________________________________________ 10 1.1. Purpose and scope ______________________________________________________ 10 1.2. Conceptual framework ___________________________________________________ 11 1.3. Methods and limitations _________________________________________________ 13 1.4. Governance and validation _______________________________________________ 14 2. Context ____________________________________________________________________ 15 2.1. Geography and demographics ____________________________________________ 15 2.2. Main disaster and climate risks ___________________________________________ 17 2.3. Government and political context__________________________________________ 18 2.4. Socio-economic context _________________________________________________ 19 2.5. Legislative and policy framework __________________________________________ 22 2.6. Child rights monitoring ___________________________________________________ 24 3. Health and Nutrition ________________________________________________________ 25 3.1. Child mortality __________________________________________________________ 26 3.2. Child health, immunization and communicable diseases ______________________ 28 3.3. Maternal health _________________________________________________________ 31 3.4. Violence against women and girls _________________________________________ 31 3.5. Adolescent health _______________________________________________________ 32 3.5.1. Fertility and contraceptive use ______________________________________ 32 3.5.2. HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections _________________________ 34 3.5.3. Substance abuse _________________________________________________ 34 3.5.4. Mental health ____________________________________________________ 36 3.6. Nutrition _______________________________________________________________ 36 3.6.1. Child stunting and wasting _________________________________________ 37 3.6.2. Anaemia _________________________________________________________ 37 3.6.3. Low birthweight and underweight __________________________________ 38 3.6.4. Obesity __________________________________________________________ 38 3.6.5. Breastfeeding ____________________________________________________ 39 3.7. Key barriers and bottlenecks ______________________________________________ 40 3.7.1. Climate and disaster risks __________________________________________ 40 3.7.2. Transportation ____________________________________________________ 41 3.7.3. Health financing __________________________________________________ 41 3.7.4. Health workforce _________________________________________________ 42 3.7.5. Decentralization __________________________________________________ 42 3.7.6. Service delivery __________________________________________________ 42 Table of Contents 3 4. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ______________________________________________ 44 4.1. Access to improved water sources ________________________________________ 45 4.2. Access to improved sanitation facilities ____________________________________ 49 4.3. Hygiene practices _______________________________________________________ 53 4.4. WASH in schools and MHM ______________________________________________ 54 5. Education __________________________________________________________________ 55 5.1. Early childhood education ________________________________________________ 59 5.2. Primary and secondary education _________________________________________ 61 5.2.1. Primary education ________________________________________________ 62 5.2.2. Secondary education ______________________________________________ 64 5.3. Tertiary and vocational education __________________________________________ 66 6. Child Protection ____________________________________________________________ 68 6.1. Child protection risks and vulnerabilities ____________________________________ 71 6.1.1. Nature and extent of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children __71 6.1.2. Community knowledge, attitudes and practices _______________________ 74 6.1.3. Drivers of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children __________ 74 6.2. The child protection system ______________________________________________ 76 6.2.1. The legal and policy framework for child protection ___________________ 76 6.2.2. Child protection structures, services and resourcing ___________________ 79 6.2.3. Mechanisms for inter-agency coordination, information management and accountability _________________________________________________ 83 6.3. Other child protection issues _____________________________________________ 84 6.3.1. Birth registration __________________________________________________ 84 6.3.2. Climate change and natural disasters ________________________________ 84 7. Social Protection ___________________________________________________________ 85 7.1. Profile of child and family poverty and vulnerability __________________________ 87 7.2. Bottlenecks and barriers to ensuring an effective social protection system ______ 92 8. Conclusions ________________________________________________________________ 98 8.1. Climate change and disaster risks ________________________________________ 98 8.2. Financial and human resources ___________________________________________ 99 8.3. Geography _____________________________________________________________ 99 8.4. Equity _________________________________________________________________ 99 8.5. Gender _______________________________________________________________ 100 8.6. Norms and attitudes ____________________________________________________ 100 8.7. Poverty and vulnerability ________________________________________________ 100 8.8. Data availability ________________________________________________________ 101 4 Situation Analysis of Children in Kiribati Executive Summary Introduction Key barriers and bottlenecks This report presents a comprehensive assessment The following key barriers and bottlenecks were and analysis of the situation of children and women identified from the full situation analysis of children in Kiribati. It is intended to present an evidence base in Kiribati. to inform decision-making across sectors that are relevant to children and women. In particular, it aims Climate change and disaster risks: Of all the to contribute to the development of programmes Pacific Island nations, Kiribati is thought to be one and strategies to protect, respect and fulfil the of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate rights of children and women in Kiribati. change, as rising sea levels threaten the mere existence of its islands, none of which reaches more Kiribati is an independent republic located in the than 6 metres above sea level. A key finding of this Micronesian region of the Pacific. It comprises report is that climate change have a considerable 33 islands, 21 of which are inhabited. Kiribati had impact on all sectors in relation to the realization of a population of 110,136 as per 2015 census, with children and women’s rights. around 40 per cent below the age of 18 years. Tarawa is the most populated island of Kiribati, with Financial and human resources: Kiribati continues around 41.5 per cent of the population living on the to rely heavily on external development aid and atoll. Rising sea levels threaten the existence of declining revenue from fishing licences, and the Kiribati as a nation, and the government has begun country is plagued by high unemployment rates. This adapting and responding to this existential threat, leads to a lack of available resources across nearly all for example by buying nearly 6,000 acres of land in sectors and a resultant lack of financial resources for neighbouring Fiji, as a potential refuge and a source the delivery of services and systems for children, but of fresh-water and food supplies. is also linked to a lack of human resources (training and