Breaking the Cycle of Exclusion: Roma Children in South East Europe
- Document number
- 1367
- Date
- 2007
- Title
- Breaking the Cycle of Exclusion: Roma Children in South East Europe
- Author/publisher
- United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
- Availability
- View/save PDF version of this document
- Document type(s)
- Research/Study/Analysis,
- Keywords
- Poverty, Social exclusion, Discrimination, Unemployment, Health, Education, Domestic violence, Child labour, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia
- Summary
- The report calls for immediate actionon social exclusion of children inmiddle income countries. It focusesespecially on Roma children and coverseight states/entities in South EastEurope: Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia,Montenegro, Romania and Serbia.These middle income states/entitiesshare similar characteristics andUNICEF is present share a programmeof cooperation in each one of them. This report draws from existingstudies and experiences and bringsin the perspective on children, whichhas been poorly covered so far. Thisis especially critical since exclusionis a de facto violation of the rights ofchildren and it is with children that theintergenerational cycle of poverty andexclusion can be broken.The report aims at raising awarenessof the extent and the effects of socialexclusion of children and of the constantviolation of the basic rights of Romachildren. It identifies the most criticalissues which, if addressed properly in theshort, medium and long term, can breakthe intergenerational cycle of povertyand exclusion and create a new cycle ofdevelopment, opportunities and inclusion.Specifically, the report aims to:• raise awareness of the extent to whichchildren, especially Roma childrensuffer from social exclusion and aredenied their rights,• identify key critical causes of exclusionand limitations in the capacity ofindividuals and institutions which havea responsibility for enabling children toenjoy their rights,• present available information andidentify data gaps which need tobe filled for the development andimplementation of evidence basedpolicies ,• stimulate relevant actors in the regionto adopt a Human Rights-basedapproach when analyzing exclusion infuture studies and when planning andimplementing social programmes,• provide an advocacy tool for settingchildren as the highest priority incombating poverty and exclusion.The main body of the report analysesthree dimensions of exclusion of thechild: the environment, early childhoodand education. The “Environment ofthe Child” explores how exclusion ofthe community and of the Roma familyinfluences the life and opportunitiesof the child. The chapter on “EarlyChildhood” focuses on the motherand the child from pregnancy untilthe child starts school. “Education”presents the main challenge andalso the opportunity for the excludedchild. Education is key to breaking theintergenerational cycle of exclusion andpoverty.
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