The latest study by the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has found that Vietnamese children are extremely vulnerable to rising inequality.
The report, entitled, An Analysis of the Situation of Children in Vietnam 2010, was the product of a collaborative effort between the Vietnamese government and UNICEF. The methodology is in line with child and human rights-based approaches.
In 1986, Vietnam embarked on a policy called Doi Moi, or “renovation,” in which the economy was restructured, liberalized and per capita income increased dramatically, according to research by the International Development Research Centre based here in Canada. The country has had one of the best-performing economies on the globe. Today, it stands on-track to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Still, there are hurdles to overcome.
The researchers found that while the country has made enormous strides in overall reductions to poverty and child mortality rates, a number of issues continue to be of consequence to child welfare. In specific, they are hygiene, sanitation, nutrition, protection, and education. With education, access is less an issue than quality and management.
Substantial parts of the child and youth population continue to live in a state of severe deprivation. Generally, one third of Vietnamese children under the age of 16 are living below the poverty line.
Vietnam’s ethnic minorities have been least likely to benefit from the country’s impressive economic growth in the last few decades. According to UNICEF, children belonging to these minority groups are the most vulnerable. 62% of them are living in poverty, compared to 22% of children belonging to the dominant Kinh and ethnic Chinese groups.
The report also addresses geographical disparities, citing unequal access to health, education, food and sanitation between the northern Ha Giang province and the more coastal Ho Chi Minh City, for example.
UNICEF Vietnam has noted that further improvements will require a better legal framework to protect child rights as well as more child-sensitive policies.
“The single most important message of the Situation Analysis relates to the need to reduce disparities in outcomes for children,” said UNICEF Vietnam representative Lotta Sylwander in a presentation of the report’s key findings.
“In particular, ethnic minority children, children with disabilities, children affected by HIV and AIDS all continue to suffer from unequal access to social services.”
The conference was attended by government officials and diplomats, UN officials, child protection workers and the media.