Liberia Equity and Inclusion Liberia Equity Inclusion What
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Liberia – Equity & Inclusion What does it mean to be a Liberian? Dennis Pain March 2012
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Environment in which a Liberian may live
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion The average Liberian has • Annual Income: US$380, about half the level 30 -40 years earlier • Education: 3. 7 years in school • Probability of not surviving first year of life: 7 in 100 • Probability of not surviving first 5 years of life: 11 in 100 • Life expectancy: 57 • Probability of having adequate access to a safe functioning water point for every 250 -300 people within 1. 5 miles - 2 in 5 • Probability of malaria during last year: 1 in 3 (in 2010, reduced from 2 in 3 in 2005) Liberia – Equity & Inclusion
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion The average Liberian woman • Has only 1. 6 years of education and is half as likely as a man to have completed Grade 6 primary • Has a probability of dying from giving birth at 5 in every 100 worse than it was a decade or two earlier • Has experienced physical violence from a husband/partner (8 out of 10) and half by a parent • Is a member of the Sande secret society and experienced female genital cutting • Suffers multiple control by her husband • Is employed, but likely to be in agriculture or elementary occupations
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Typically a woman: • Has about 6 siblings: • First had sex just after her 16 th birthday, 2 years before her brother; • One in seven of those having sex before age 15 were forced against their will; • Married before 20, two years later than her mother, but over 4 years younger than her husband • Had her first child at age 19
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion But there is no such thing as an average Liberian woman! It depends on where she is born and lives: • Depends on whether she lives around Monrovia and other towns or in a rural area • Depends on the county where she lives • Depends on how wealthy is her household
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion A wealthier Monrovian woman’s life story: • Six times as likely to have been born by choice; • Slightly more likely to have a nutritionally healthy mother and nearly twice as likely to have been protected against neo-natal tetanus; • BUT more likely to be malnourished (weight for height) in infancy!! Yet almost half as likely to be stunted (height for age); • Four times as likely to receive all basic vaccines; • Ten times as likely to have completed Primary 6; • Less likely to be employed, but it will be in a skilled job; • Four times as likely to give birth in a health facility; • BUT about 5 times as likely to be HIV +ve;
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Another Liberian woman from a poor household in a border county survives despite Being born at home, not a health facility; Being twice as much at risk of death as an infant; Two out of eleven not reaching their 5 th birthday; Most likely never having been to school; Having to leave home to access education above Grade 3; • Working in agriculture; • Accepting that a husband can be justified in beating his wife • • •
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Overall Population & Income Poverty Head Count 9 % Lofa 276, 683 Gbarpolu 83, 388 Grand Cape Mount 9 % 127, 076 Bong 333, 481 9 % Bomi 84, 119 Montserrado Percentage of population below poverty line < 50 % 50 -60 % 61 -70 % > 70 % 9 % 1, 118, 241 9 % Nimba 462, 026 9 Margibi % 209, 923 Grand Bassa 221, 693 9 % Grand Gedeh 125, 258 Rivercess 71, 509 9 % Sinoe 102, 391 66, 789 River 9 Gee % 9 % Grand Kru 9 57, 913 % Maryland 135, 938 9 % Source: Liberia PRS 2007
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Source: Population Census 2008 Population Density by Clan Areas
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Average Distance to Health Facility within District Source: National Health and Social Policy Paper, MOHSW 2011
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Maternal Deliveries for 5 years up to 2007 (LDHS 2007 Table 9. 5) Percentage deliveries in a health facility 100 90 80 Monrovia (71) 70 60 50 Urban (63) 2008 Ghana (57) 1998 Cote d’Ivoire (47) 40 Liberia (37) 30 2005 Guinea (31) Rural (26) 2008 Sierra Leone (25) 20 Wealthiest* (70) Above secondary educated mother (64) S. East B (21) Poorest* (18) Uneducated mother (28) 10 Category • Wealthiest/Poorest refers to highest/lowest 20% households. Half of mothers report problems of cost of treatment (wealthiest – 37%; poorest - 74%) and cost of transport (wealthiest – 26%; poorest – 82%).
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Mosquito Nets & Prevalence of Fever (Liberia Malaria Indicator Survey 2009 Tables 4. 1) Percentage under-five children who slept under a net the previous night = Percentage of children under five with fever in two weeks preceding = Percentage under five who tested slide +ve for malaria 50 § 40 30 20 25. 7 28. 2 Rural 34. 9 25. 6 Urban 2 nd Poorest Quintile Poorest 20% 29. 5 Bong Nimba Lofa 24. 5 36. 4 River Gee Grand Kru Maryl; and Wealthiest 20% 35. 6 River Cess Sinoe Grand Gedeh 32. 7 Bomi Grand Cape Mount Gbarpolu 17. 2 Montserrado ( - Monrovia) Margibi Grand Bassa Monrovia 22. 0 10
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Infant Mortality (reporting for previous decade) Probability of dying before first birthday Deaths per 1, 000 live births (LDHS 2007 Table 8. 1/2/3) 200 180 160 S. Central (142) 140 120 2005 Guinea (≈126) 2008 Sierra Leone (≈126) 100 Liberia (≈92) Rural (99) 1998 Cote d’Ivoire (≈98) Urban (78) 80 60 40 Mother age <20 (122) Monrovia (69) Poorest* (100) Wealthiest* (70) Uneducated mother (107) Above secondary Mother age 20 -29 (80) educated mother (59) 2008 Ghana (≈40) 20 • Poorest/Wealthiest refers to lowest/highest 20% households (quintiles). Note: second lowest quintile shows similar infant mortality at 105. Category
Water Access Current coverage, population per waterpoint and access by county Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Waterpoint Atlas 2011 County Current Coverage Population per functional, (population within 1. 5 miles in-use waterpoint* of a point) Current Access (assuming point capacity of max. 250 persons) Bomi 95% 200 91% Bong 54% 730 32% Gbarpolu 55% 379 43% Grand Bassa 55% 727 33% Grand Cape Mount 73% 413 48% Grand Gedeh 59% 684 34% Grand Kru 64% 331 56% Lofa 76% 531 43% Margibi 80% 398 52% Maryland 87% 446 52% Montserrado 98% 686 35% Nimba 68% 672 34% River Gee 74% 359 53% Rivercess 47% 504 36% Sinoe 57% 447 47% TOTAL 76% 552 40% • Adjusted for number of taps on high-capacity waterpoints with multiple taps (e. g. kiosks)
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Water Access and Prevalence of Diarrhea (LDHS 2007 Table 10. 6) Percentage under-five children who had diarrhea in the two weeks before survey = % with Water Access 100 20 50 20. 6 9. 8 18. 0 27. 9 22. 8 19. 0 19. 3 Montserrado ( - Monrovia) Margibi Grand Bassa Bomi Grand Cape Mount Gbarpolu River Cess Sinoe rand Gedeh River Gee Grand Kru Maryl; and Bong Nimba Lofa Wealthiest 20% Poorest 20% Monrovia 15. 5 10
14. 3 23. 3 25. 9 25. 4 14. 1 23. 2 12. 6 21. 2 11. 0 25. 9 River Cess Sinoe Grand Gedeh River Gee Grand Kru Maryl; and Bong Nimba Lofa Urban Rural Mother post-primary Undeucated mother Wealthiest 20% Poorest 20% 17. 3 13. 6 Bomi Grand Cape Mount Gbarpolu Montserrado ( - Monrovia) Margibi Grand Bassa Monrovia Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Percentage under-five children who were severely stunted Stunting (LDHS 2007 Table 11. 1) (below – 3 SD height-for-age) % below – 3 SD 25 20 10
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Distribution of Level 1 schools (primary school only)
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Distribution of secondary schools
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Core Textbooks Available per 100 students in primary schools
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Gross Completion Ratio in Primary School 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 Ratio of students to trained teachers Ratio of students to total teachers GCR of girls GCR of boys National Gbarpolu River Gee Sinoe Rivercess Nimba Montserrado Maryland Margibi Lofa Grand Kru Grand Gedeh Grand Cape Mount Grand Bassa Bong Bomi 0
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion 5 miles radius from Secondary School 2 County capitals Clan boundaries County boundaries Major roads Population density (person/mile sq): 0 - 50 51 - 100 101 - 500 501 - 1000 > 1000 Level 1 schools (primary only) Level 3 schools (primary and secondary) . Level 2 schools (secondary only) Town/village
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion 5 miles Radius from secondary school
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Number of Girls Unexpected Additional/missing Girls 10 -19 years old (Calculated from Census Population Profile) 20, 000 100 % 16, 000 80 % 12, 000 60 % 8, 000 40 % 4, 000 20 % 0 (4, 000) Source: The 2008/2009 National School Census Report, Ministry of Education. 2010 ALP Out of school girls Gbarpolu River Gee Sinoe Rivercess Nimba Montserrado Maryland Margibi Lofa Grand Kru Grand Gedeh Grand Cape Mount Grand Bassa Bong Bomi (8, 000)
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion Percentage Aged 15 -49 Having Education of Grade 6 or above Percentage (LDHS 2007 Table 3. 2. 1/2) 100 90 80 M – Urban (75) M – Monrovia (78) M – Wealthiest* (81) 70 60 50 F – Wealthiest* (64) F – Urban (53) 2005 - Guinea – M (48. 8) Liberia (43. 1) 40 30 20 F – Monrovia (58) Liberia Male (55. 7) M – Rural (43) M – N. West (40) 2008 – Sierra Leone – M (41. 4) M – Poorest* (31) Liberia Female (30. 5 ) 2008 – Sierra Leone – F (24. 5) 2005 - Guinea – F (22. 5) F – Rural (14) F – N. Central & N. West (16) F – Poorest* (8) 10 Category * Wealthiest / Poorest 20% of households
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion So: - there is no such thing as an average Liberian! It all depends on: • how well educated your mother was; • whether you are male or female; • whether you live around Monrovia and other towns or in a rural area; • the county where you live; • how wealthy is your parental household.
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion So: will things never change in Liberia? YES, they can! The President has publicly committed to: ü Putting young people first and lifting the lives of all Liberians; ü Paying special attention to girls; ü Reducing inequities, ensuring equal opportunity and providing guarantees of social justice; ü Improving quality of life for ALL citizens; ü Reconciliation that depends on: § § § empowering youth, creating jobs and opportunity spreading development to all justice in dealing with the past justice in processes of government and law justice in economic development
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion UNICEF is supporting Liberia’s new Poverty Reduction Strategy and Transformation Agenda UNICEF is committed to: ü ü ü Protecting girls and boys from anything that harms them; Supporting their ambitions for education and skills; Delaying their age of marriage so they can fulfill their dreams; Enabling young people to be at peace with themselves and their communities; Young women having relationships and children by choice; Improving maternal health; Ensuring good nutrition & nurture, protected from disease, in infancy; Ensuring that ALL children have ALL rights; Ensuring equity in access to basic services and equal outcomes for all; Supporting a Liberian and a Child Wellbeing Index; Providing girls and boys, men and women with equal opportunities; Increasing participation of women and young people in decision making
Liberia – Equity and Inclusion UNICEF THANKS YOU for your concern for Equity and Inclusion!
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