Budgeting for Children in African: Rhetoric, Reality and the Scorecard. Supplement to The African Report on Child Wellbeing 2011

Theme:
  • Child Wellbeing
theme
52
Pages: 65
Year of Publication: 2011
Country: Africa

The budget is the linchpin in the rhetoric-reality nexus in the realisation of child wellbeing. All human rights conventions and treaties demand resources for their implementation and realisation. Without adequate and commensurate resources, they remain empty promises. Budgets are therefore the objective barometer of a government’s policy priorities and true commitment.

There are many reasons why Africa should invest heavily in children. First and foremost, because it is the right thing to do. Because it pays. Because it is the only way Africa can catch up with the rest of the world. Because investment in children and youth contributes to democratic governance and social stability. Finally, because without children, society will die. So it is about rights; about society; about economics; about good governance; and about our future place in the world. 

For all these reasons, governments need to budget for children. Budgeting for children is not about a separate budget. It is about a deliberate act of addressing children’s issues in the budget – both as a process and as an outcome. Ultimately, it is about the adequacy of the resources committed to programmes that benefit children.

Language: English
Published by: African Child Policy Forum (ACPF)
Author: African Child Policy Forum (ACPF)
Located in: Publications
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Founder Assefa Bequele, PhD

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