SITUATION ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN IN .
SITUATION ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSISOF CHILDREN AND WOMENIN BANGLADESHChildren’s Rights In Bangladesh: The Context1
SITUATION ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSISOF CHILDREN AND WOMENIN BANGLADESHSeptember 2009
AcknowledgementsThis report was made possible with the contributions of many people, both inside and outside UNICEF.Important contributions were received from officials of the Government of Bangladesh at all levels andfrom representatives of NGOs, research institutions, international development partners, and projectsfocusing on child rights. Focus group discussions with women and children in several communities alsoprovided important insights.Special thanks to Dr. Karen Dunn, who undertook the desk review, conducted the consultations, andproduced the final report. UNICEF BangladeshSeptember 2009Cover Photo: UNICEF Bangladesh/2009/Shehzad NooraniPermission to reproduce any part of thispublication is required. Please contact:Design & Layout:Syed Makhlesur Rahman/UNICEFUNICEF BangladeshBSL Office Complex1, Minto Road, Dhaka 1000BangladeshPrinting:Evergreen Printing and PackagingTelephone: 88 02 9336701E-mail: dhaka@unicef.orgWebsite: www.unicef.org.bdISBN: 984-70292-0002-5
ForewordAcritical moment has arrived in the history of Bangladesh—a time of abundant opportunitiesto strengthen the fulfillment of human rights, including children’s rights. A democraticallyelected Government came to office this year with a pledge to address a wide range of childrights issues and a commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Conventionon the Rights of the Child (CRC). The Government is now preparing a Five Year Plan consistentwith a long-term vision of economic growth, poverty reduction, and a more inclusive and equitablesociety. At the same time, the Government and its development partners are formulating newinstruments for international support to Bangladesh’s development process, including a JointCooperation Strategy and a new United Nations Development Assistance Framework.UNICEF has prepared the Situation Assessment and Analysis of Children and Women inBangladesh 2009 with the intention of helping Bangladesh to take advantage of the opportunitiesat hand. As envisioned in the CRC and statements of the Commission on the Rights of the Child,UNICEF provides technical assistance in Bangladesh upon the request of the Government. Thisreport contributes to the evidence base upon which UNICEF can provide such assistance. It hasa broader purpose as well. With this report, we aim to stimulate policy dialogue around issues ofchildren’s rights and we hope to provide useful input for related strategies and programmes of theGovernment, civil society organizations, and international development partners.The Situation Assessment and Analysis reviews Bangladesh’s progress toward fulfilling children’srights to education, health and nutrition, protection, safe water and sanitation, and participation.The report identifies poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, population growth and urbanization,the quality of governance, social and cultural norms and values, and natural disasters as the basic(structural) factors influencing the realization of children’s rights. It highlights the rights of childrenwith disabilities and the importance of child injury prevention and care as emerging areas ofconcern and opportunity. The recommendations of the report underscore the importance of childcentered policy development, capacity building, communication for development, and cooperationbetween the Government and civil society. Further inquiry is suggested in areas where gaps incurrent knowledge have emerged, such as child sexual abuse, the quality and quantity of privateand NGO health services, and the barriers to behavior change in childbirth, neonatal and postnatalcare, and water, sanitation, and hygiene practices.In Bangladesh, as everywhere in the world, adults frequently observe that children are the future.Their opportunities for survival and development, the care and protection they receive, and theircapacity to make choices and express themselves influence their lifetime contributions to societyand the legacy that they transmit to future generations. Childhood and adolescence are, however,very short. Every week counts for a child. Children have no time to spare. Adults rarely perceivethat the future of children has to be built now! The pursuit of a secure, productive, and justsociety requires a full understanding and acknowledgement of the child rights situation and thecauses underlying it so that appropriate actions can be taken soon that will lead to a society withequal opportunities for all children. UNICEF offers the Situation Assessment and Analysis as acontribution to this pursuit in Bangladesh.Carel de RooyRepresentativeUNICEF BangladeshSeptember 2009Children’s Rights In Bangladesh: The Context3
ContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARY.7INTRODUCTION. .21I. CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN BANGLADESH: THE CONTEXTI.A. LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK. 23I.B. BASIC FACTORS INFLUENCING CHILDREN’S RIGHTS. 24I.B.1I.B.2I.B.3I.B.4I.B.5Poverty and Food Insecurity. 24Population Growth and Urbanization. 28Quality of Governance. 30Social and Cultural Norms and Values. 33Occurrence and Management of Natural Disasters. 35I.C. CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO PARTICIPATION. 36I.D. THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES. 39II. Children’s Right to EducationII.A. OVERVIEW OF THE SITUATION. 45II.A.1II.A.2II.A.3II.A.4Preschool Attendance. 45Primary and Secondary School Enrolment and Retention. 46Quality of Education. 47Inequality and Exclusion. 49II.B. CAUSALITY ANALYSIS. 52II.B.1 Immediate Factors. 52II.B.2 Underlying Factors. 64II.C. ROLE AND CAPACITY ANALYSIS. es. 66Teachers. 66Communities. 67Civil Society. 67Local Government Institutions. 69Government of Bangladesh. 70International Development Partners. 77II.D. RECOMMENDATIONS. 78III. Children’s Right to Health and NutritionIII.A. OVERVIEW OF THE SITUATION. 83III.A.1 Maternal Mortality. 83III.A.2 Child Mortality. 83III.A.3 Threat of an HIV/AIDS Epidemic. 85III.B. CAUSALITY ANALYSIS. 85III.B.1 Immediate Factors. 85III.B.2 Underlying Factors. 90
III.C. ROLE AND CAPACITY ANALYSIS. ies.Communities.Local Government Institutions.Civil Society and the Private Sector.Government of Bangladesh.105International Development Partners.103104104104112III.D. RECOMMENDATIONS. 112IV. Children’s Right to ProtectionIV.A. OVERVIEW OF THE SITUATION. 117IV.A.1 Children’s Exposure to Violence and Abuse. 117IV.A.2 Exploitation of Children. 123IV.A.3 Street Children and Children without Parental Care. 132IV.B. CAUSALITY ANALYSIS. 137IV.B.1 Immediate Factors. 137IV.B.2 Underlying Factors. 140IV.C. ROLE AND CAPACITY ANALYSIS. ies.Communities.Non-Government Organizations.Employers.Local Government Institutions.Government of Bangladesh.International Development Partners.141141141142142142147IV.D. RECOMMENDATIONS. 147V. Children’s Right to Water, Sanitation, and HygieneV.A. OVERVIEW OF THE SITUATION. 151V.B. CAUSALITY ANALYSIS. 154V.B.1V.B.2V.B.3V.B.4V.B.5Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Practices.Water Quality Threats and Mitigation Measures.Expansion of Access to Sanitation Facilities.Disaster Management in the Water and Sanitation Sector.Coordination among Partners in the Water and Sanitation Sector.154156158159160V.C. ROLE AND CAPACITY ilies.Schools.Communities.Local Government Institutions.Civil Society and the Private Sector.Government of Bangladesh.International Development Partners.161162162163164164166V.D. RECOMMENDATIONS. 166ACRONYMS. 172REFERENCES. . 174
UNICEF Bangladesh/1995/Shehzad Noorani6Children’s Rights In Bangladesh: The ContextA young girl collects polythene bagsand other recyclable materials from thestreet.
EXECUTIVESUMMARYThe Situation Assessment and Analysis of Children and Women in Bangladeshprovides an overview of the situation regarding children’s rights to education,health and nutrition, protection from abuse and exploitation, participation, andwater, sanitation, and hygiene. It identifies the immediate, underlying, and basic(or structural) factors influencing the realization or violation of children’s rightsand analyzes the roles and capacities of duty bearers—those with responsibility forensuring that children realize their rights. The principal frame of reference is theConvention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which the Government of Bangladeshratified in 1990.CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN BANGLADESH: THECONTEXTThe overall context for children’s rights has legal, political, social, cultural,economic, demographic, and environmental dimensions. The Government isdeveloping laws and policies with a view toward consistency with the CRC andBangladesh’s other human rights commitments. At present, however, many ofthe rights guaranteed in international conventions are not yet supported withlegislation, and some laws and policies contradict them. When appropriate laws andpolicies are in place, they are often poorly implemented and enforced.The last national Household Income and Expenditure Survey, in 2005, found thatabout 40 per cent of Bangladeshi households were poor and more than onequarter were extremely poor. Poverty is even more prevalent among the country’s63 million children. In 2007-2008, two major floods, a devastating cyclone, and aspike in food prices exacerbated poverty and food insecurity for many people. Thecoping strategies of the poor included reducing food intake and health expenditures,withdrawing children from school, and taking on debt—all of which are likely tohave lasting impacts. The indicators for primary and secondary education, health,and access to water, sanitation, and hygiene are highly correlated with wealth.Poverty and food insecurity leave children vulnerable to exploitation and separationfrom their parents and contribute to personal stress and social/family tensions,which can lead to abuse. Most of the children who reside in institutions, live onthe street, and engage in hazardous work are from poor families. While poverty isclearly a basic cause of rights violations, its role in causality is complicated. Nationalpolicy statements recognize that poverty is also a consequence of rights violations. UNICEF Bangladesh/2006/AkashPopulation growth and urbanization are also basic factors in the realization ofchildren’s rights. Bangladesh is a densely populated country of about 148 millionpeople. Despite success in reducing fertility since the 1970s, the fertility rate remainsabove the replacement rate. The population is likely to almost double over the nextcentury and to become predominantly urban in about three decades. Urbanizationstrains the capacity of all service providers. The policy agenda has largely neglectedthe burgeoning urban slums and the urban poor. Education, parenting support,health care, water and sanitation, and child protection services are severely limitedChildren’s Rights In Bangladesh: The Context7
for the urban poor, and vulnerability to eviction underlies and compounds thedifficulties slum dwellers face.Bangladesh suffers from a range of governance problems that obstruct therealization of children’s rights. The Government’s structure is highly centralized,limiting local officials’ authority and flexibility to adapt services to localcircumstances and demand. Achievements in the social sectors since the early 1990shave mainly expanded access. Relative to the deeper, institutional changes neededto improve service quality and equity, expanding access is administratively easierand brings more immediate political gains. A vibrant civil society and politicallyengaged population provide some accountability, but formal accountabilityinstitutions are generally ineffective. Low levels of public expenditures in thesocial sector reflect the country’s poverty, low rates of revenue collection, andweak implementation capacity. The new Government has promised a number ofimportant reforms related to children’s and women’s rights.Social and cultural norms and values influence the realization of children’s rights.In many communities, for example, the low social and economic status of womenand girls contributes to social acceptance of child marriage, which is harmful tochildren and women. Norms of childhood contribute to social acceptance of childlabor, sometimes even in hazardous types of work. The concept of family honor isoften linked with the behavior and experiences of girls and women. As a result, girlsand women who are victims of abuse—and even those who seem likely to havebeen victims—suffer greater social consequences than do their abusers. The lowsocioeconomic status of women is reflected in the health and educational servicesprovided to mothers and children, their food intake, and their decision-makingauthority. Gender norms make it difficult for women to access water and sanitationfacilities located away from their homes. Social taboos regarding the discussion ofsex and drug use obstruct efforts to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and expand accessto testing, treatment, and care. A low level of respect for the rule of law—especiallywhen it conflicts with other social norms—contributes to rights violations. UNICEF Bangladesh/2009/Shehzad NooraniBangladesh has always been disaster-prone, experiencing severe floods, cyclones,storm surges, droughts, and other natural disasters. Climate change could increasethe frequency and intensity of disasters. The Government has developed substantialcapacity in disaster management and risk reduction, but the country’s location, lowelevation, poverty, population density, poor infrastructure, and high dependence onnatural resources make it exceptionally vulnerable.Children’s ability to exercise their right to participation is part of the context forthe exercise o
about 40 per cent of Bangladeshi households were poor and more than one-quarter were extremely poor. Poverty is even more prevalent among the country’s 63 million children. In 2007-2008, two major floods, a devastating cyclone, and a spike in food prices exacerbated poverty and food insecurity for many people. The
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