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Securing the Future of Children and Youth - FAQs
Why has CIDA made children and youth a priority?What is the Government of Canada going to do to support this priority?
What led the Government of Canada to choose these three paths?
Why such a strong focus on girls?
What are efforts under child survival expected to achieve?
What does CIDA expect to achieve by improving access to quality education?
What will the projects under safety and security going to achieve?
What results are expected?
Why has CIDA made children and youth a priority?
Focusing on children and youth is key to long-term, sustainable development. Children and youth make up the largest percentage of the developing world's population.
Children and youth represent a tremendous opportunity to affect change in the developing world, but they also face some of the most pressing challenges.
Children and youth need safe and secure environments that are free from violence and discrimination in order to develop to their full potential.
We want children to have ample opportunity to grow and prosper so that as youth and young adults they have the skills to engage as positive members of society. By equipping children and youth with the means and tools to reach their full potential, we are also helping them to adapt to the challenges of adulthood.
What is the Government of Canada going to do to support this priority?
Our strategy will focus on three key paths:
- child survival, including maternal health;
- access to quality education; and
- safety and security.
We will scale-up our efforts in those areas that have proven to be effective in improving the lives of children and youth. For example, immunizing young children is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve child survival.
This strategy has a special focus on girls. Girls and young women do not always have the same opportunities as boys and yet we know that investing in girls makes a real impact on overall development results.
What led the Government of Canada to choose these three paths?
Consultations were held over several months with developing country officials and partners, and a cross section of Canadian, multilateral and international development experts. The excellent recommendations and suggestions informed the development of the Children and Youth Strategy.
This Strategy builds on those areas where, in cooperation with our Canadian and international partners, we have achieved the greatest results. These include:
- education;
- promotion of equality between women and men;
- promotion of human rights;
- childhood survival; and
- maternal health.
Why such a strong focus on girls?
Increasing evidence shows that investing in women and girls will assist developing countries to increase their economic and social growth.
According to UNICEF, educating girls is a proven way to:
- raise economic productivity;
- lower infant and maternal mortality;
- improve nutritional status and health;
- reduce poverty; and
- combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
When girls have access to quality education, they benefit, their families and communities benefit, and their children eventually benefit.
What are efforts under child survival expected to achieve?
We will focus programming to support efforts to ensure children have the best possible start to life.
We will increase efforts to ensure child survival through the prompt, effective and equitable prevention and treatment of leading childhood causes of death, including pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria.
We will also seek to prevent and treat the high-burden, poverty-linked diseases that affect mothers and children, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and Tuberculosis.
We will work with developing countries to help ensure that the health needs of mothers and children under age five are being met by strong health systems.
What does CIDA expect to achieve by improving access to quality education?
CIDA will build on its considerable experience in education by scaling-up proven interventions. This will include program-based and sector-wide approach programs, which enable governments to strengthen national education systems and allocate resources based on national priorities.
CIDA will also continue to support the important work of civil society in increase access to quality education.
We will improve access to and completion of quality basic education, particularly for girls and for children in conflict-affected states.
We will improve the quality of education and promote learning achievement, with particular focus on teachers and teacher training, relevant curriculum and teaching/learning materials.
We will increase access to relevant learning opportunities for youth in and out of school, including literacy and numeracy.
What will the projects under safety and security going to achieve?
CIDA will continue to explore ways to help partner countries protect the rights of children and youth and promote their safety and security.
We will strengthen and implement national protection legislations and frameworks to help safeguard the human rights and security of children and youth.
We will build capacity in the public sector to better protect children and youth at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse, particularly violence against girls and young women.
We will help to create schools that are safe and free from violence and abuse and are child-friendly learning environments.
We will support efforts to help children and youth at-risk to avoid violence, exploitation and crime and to become positive, productive members of society.
What results are expected?
Child survival, including maternal health- More mothers will be healthy and able to care for their children.
- More children will survive infancy and thrive.
- We expect to help prevent and treat some of the major infectious diseases that primarily affect mothers and children.
- We expect that national health systems will better respond to the health needs of mothers and children under age five.
- More children go to school and complete the basic education cycle, especially girls.
- Country education systems are strengthened and better able to provide quality education.
- Youth develop the skills they need to become productive, engaged citizens.
- Countries have the legal frameworks necessary to protect children and youth.
- More children and youth are protected from violence, exploitation and abuse, especially girls and young women.
- Schools are safe and appropriate environments for learning.
- Children and youth are positive members of their societies.
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