The Girl-Child and Government Service Provision.pdf - Tanzania ...

Cambodia Case StudyLaurence Gray and World VisionCambodiaThirty years of conflict have left Cambodia with weak infrastructureand human resource. Cambodia is a predominantlyrural society, with 84.3 per cent of its 14 million estimatedpopulation living in rural areas. The remaining 15.7per cent are urban dwellers who live predominantly in thecapital Phnom Penh. The country has the lowest HumanDevelopment Index 1 score in Southeast Asia (0.543 in2000) and is ranked 130 out of 173 countries, with a lifeexpectancy of 56.5 years (54 years for men and 59 yearsfor women), an adult literacy rate of 67.3 per cent (79.5per cent for men and 57 per cent for women), and a yearlygross domestic product per capita of US$1,446 and percapita income of US$240. Conversely, it scores high on theHuman Poverty Index (43.3 per cent), with a high level ofmortality and child malnutrition, and limited availability ofpublic services. 2 It has the misfortune to be a regionalleader in infant mortality (115 per thousand) and under-fivemortality (181 per thousand). Other problems include ahigh percentage of income spent on food and low accessto basic services, especially among girls. According toUnicef, girls start school in higher numbers than boys butare forced to drop out more quickly with many not finishingand less than 20 per cent going on to high school. Familyseparation, high domestic violence and low observationof the rule of law contribute to the dislocation of childrenfrom their communities. Unicef also reports that HIV/AIDSprevalence among the sexually active population is at almost4 per cent, and the social/economic cost of this tragedyis visible (40,000 AIDS orphans) and growing. Ruralurban drift and increased vulnerability to crime or sexualexploitation are also issues, as are homeless and abandonedchildren and a poorly skilled work force. Despite adecade of progress from the government and developmentsector greater efforts are needed to improve the situationof Cambodian children, particularly girl children.Against this background the children of today will be theleaders of tomorrow and will shape the continued emergenceof civil society. Children represent the future of allcountries and are their human and social capital. Childrenare able to take part in arriving at decisions that affect theirdestiny and that of their wider community. How well is thecurrent society represented by its leaders and governmentinstitutions? What priority do they place on preparing childrenfor the challenges and opportunities they will encounterif Cambodia is to progress in its development as a nation?To what extent does gender play a role in determiningfuture options?Research questionThe overall question to be researched was threefold, witheach element equally important: (1) To what extent doesinequality exist in the relative use of government servicesby boys and girls? (2) What reasons exist for this inequality?(3) What could service providers do to increase accessto services by girls?The focus is on basic services intended for use by all children,in particular:• Primary schooling• Use of local health services during times of sickness andalso immunisation facilities• Child protectionThe study explores whether there is a difference in therates of birth registration between boys and girls andwhether there are differences in access to other key servicesthat may be available for children.DemographyCambodia has an estimated population of 14 million, witha relatively low density of 64 persons per square kilometre.The population growth rate is estimated at 2.5per cent, and the average size of a household is 5.2 persons.Laurence Gray is Asia Director for Adovcacy with World Vision’s Asia Regional Office and an adviser on child rights issues to WorldVision Cambodia.The Girl-Child and Government Service Provision 9