WUNRN
VITAL IMPORTANCE OF BIRTH
REGISTRATION FOR GIRLS
a
number of countries and regions show gender inequality in registration of
births, and this often works against girl children.
It
makes it more difficult for a government to protect a child from early
marriage or child labour if there is no proof of age. Girls are
especially susceptible to early marriage.
As the international community seeks to increase its understanding of how well
countries are recording births, organisations should include analyses of
whether gender disparities are an issue, and as they push for strengthening of
birth registration systems they should watch to ensure that neither gender is
left behind in any country.
_________________________________________________________
GLOBALLY ONLY 1 IN 3 CHILDREN UNDER
AGE 5 HAS BIRTH REGISTRATION - GIRLS
"Children
unregistered at birth or without identification documents are often excluded
from accessing education, health care and social security."
Direct Link to Full 164-Page 2013
Report:
NEW
YORK, 11 December 2013 - On UNICEF’s 67th birthday today, the organization
released a new report showing that the births of nearly 230 million children
under-five have never been registered; approximately one in three of all
children under-five around the world.
“Birth
registration is more than just a right. It’s how societies first recognize and
acknowledge a child’s identity and existence,” said Geeta Rao Gupta, UNICEF
Deputy Executive Director. “Birth registration is also key to guaranteeing that
children are not forgotten, denied their rights or hidden from the progress of
their nations.”
The new
report, Every Child’s Birth Right: Inequities and trends
in birth registration, collects statistical analysis spanning
161 countries and presents the latest available country data and estimates on
birth registration.
Globally in
2012, only around 60 per cent of all babies born were registered at birth. The
rates vary significantly across regions, with the lowest levels of birth
registration found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
The 10
countries with the lowest birth registration levels are: Somalia (3%), Liberia
(4%), Ethiopia (7%), Zambia (14%), Chad (16%), United Republic of Tanzania
(16%), Yemen (17%), Guinea-Bissau (24%), Pakistan (27%) and Democratic Republic
of the Congo (28%).
Even when
children are registered, many have no proof of registration. In Eastern
and Southern Africa, for example, only about half of the registered children
have a birth certificate. Globally, 1 in 7 registered children does not possess
a birth certificate. In some countries, this is due to prohibitive fees. In
other countries, birth certificates are not issued and no proof of registration
is available to families.
Children
unregistered at birth or without identification documents are often excluded
from accessing education, health care and social security. If children are separated
from their families during natural disasters, conflicts or as a result of
exploitation, reuniting them is made more difficult by the lack of official
documentation.
“Birth
registration – and a birth certificate - is vital for unlocking a child’s full
potential,” said Rao Gupta. “All children are born with enormous
potential. But if societies fail to count them, and don’t even recognize that
they are there, they are more vulnerable to neglect and abuse. Inevitably,
their potential will be severely diminished.”
Birth
registration, as an essential component of a country’s civil registry, also
strengthens the quality of vital statistics, aiding planning and government
efficiency.
According to
UNICEF, unregistered births are a symptom of the inequities and disparities in
a society. The children most affected by these inequities include children from
certain ethnic or religious groups, children living in rural or remote areas,
children from poor households or children of uneducated mothers.
Programmes
need to address the reasons that families do not register children, including
prohibitive fees, unawareness of the relevant laws or processes, cultural
barriers, and the fear of further discrimination or marginalization.
UNICEF is
using innovative approaches to support governments and communities in
strengthening their civil and birth registration systems. In Kosovo for
example, the UNICEF Innovations Lab has developed an efficient, effective, and
low-cost means of identifying and reporting unregistered births, built on the
RapidSMS mobile-phone based platform.
In Uganda,
the government – with support from UNICEF and the private sector – is
implementing a solution called MobileVRS that uses mobile phone technology to
complete birth registration procedures in minutes, a process that normally
takes months.
“Societies
will never be equitable and inclusive until all children are counted,” added
Rao Gupta. “Birth registration has lasting consequences, not only for the
child’s wellbeing, but also for the development of their communities and
countries.”
UNICEF also released today A Passport to Protection: A guide to birth registration programming, a handbook for those working on birth registration, providing background information, general principles and a guide for programming.