In support of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and UNICEF, SPRI Global team members were onsite to carry out a workshop and training on multidimensional child poverty analysis, and to prepare the application of the analysis in Trinidad and Tobago.
In a 2017 report published by United Nations Children’s Fund Eastern Caribbean Area (UNICEF-ECA) office, the study of 11 eastern Caribbean countries stated that 32.7% of children lived in poverty— approximately 1 in 3 children. Trinidad and Tobago, the most populous eastern Caribbean country is home to over 330,102 children. Though there have been many advancements nationally to ensure that the rights of children in this twin island are protected, the needs of many vulnerable children remain unmet.
Towards the goal of developing an evidence-informed Strategy, the Office of the Prime Minister Gender and Child Affairs (with technical support from UNICEF and SPRI Global) has determined that a National Child Poverty Analysis must be conducted to inform a National Child Poverty Reduction Strategy. The development of an evidence- informed poverty reduction strategy requires data and the child poverty analysis, the first of its kind to be undertaken in Trinidad and Tobago, aims to be multi-dimensional in approach so that the many ways in which children experience poverty can be identified and documented.
With a deepened understanding of poverty nationally, policy makers will be able to review programs and make the necessary adjustments so that they are more effective and can address the challenges faced by children living in poverty. The Strategy also commits to protecting children, especially the most vulnerable among them.
Together with the workshop participants, consultative discussions were held on the selection of parameters, dimensions, indicators, deprivation thresholds, and age groups for measuring multidimensional child poverty in the specific context of Trinidad and Tobago. SPRI Global is honored to be supporting UNICEF and Government of Trinidad and Tobago on this important assignment to strengthen Trinidad and Tobago’s commitments towards development of a national poverty reduction strategy that addresses child poverty and aims to break the inter-generational cycle of deprivation.