Experts from the global North and South analyze the implications of economic crises on children, with a particular focus on the emerging evidence from the recent global economic crisis and food and fuel price volatility of 2008-2010. They point out key policy responses deployed by governments and international agencies.

'Must economic crises always end up hitting children and women with cuts and setbacks? In this volume, UNICEF shows that alternatives exist and analyzes what it takes put to them into action, with examples of where, when and how this has been done. A book to ponder for bankers, economists, and all who believe in TINA - that there is no alternative. There are! Sir Richard Jolly, Honorary Professor and Research Associate, Institute of Development Studies, UK

'At last! A book featuring hard evidence detailing the severe impact of financial crises on children! Debunking long-standing economic orthodoxies as often worsening rather than improving poor families' lives, the authors propose innovative macro- and micro-oriented policies that will enable anthropologists, sociologists and human rights activists to collaborate more effectively with economists in making a positive difference for children.' Mary Racelis, Professor of Social Anthropology, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines

'This is a path-breaking book that documents the acute vulnerability of children to economic downturns. The authors challenge the presumption that poor children are sheltered because they are not much integrated into formal financial systems and they propose specially tailored remedies to prevent these crises from turning into what they call 'inequality machines'. A required read for anyone who cares about poverty alleviation and social development.' Dani Rodrik, Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard University, USA

'This book provides a rich repertoire of policy instruments that can be used to protect the poor and the vulnerable from the almost inevitable consequences of market-driven forces and the pursuit of conventional policy interventions. This is a book with hard facts, brainy analyses and a big and soft heart.' Assefa Bequele, Former Executive Director of African Child Policy Forum, Ethiopia

Autorentext
STEFFIE JOI CALUBAYAN Research Assistant at the Poverty and Economic Policy Community-based Monitoring System (PEP CBMS) Research Network, University of Laval, Canada MARGARET CHITIGA-MABUGU Executive Director of the Economic Performance and Development research programme, Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa JOHN COCKBURN Co-Director of the Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) Research Network and Professor at University of Laval, Canada JERONIMO CORTINA Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Research Associate at the Center for Public Policy, University of Houston, USA BERNARD DECALUWÉ Full Professor in the Department of Economics, University of Laval, Canada JEREMY DE JESUS Research Assistant at the Community-based Monitoring System (CBMS) programme, Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies, De La Salle University, Philippines NADIA DOYTCH Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of New Haven, USA ISMAËL FOFANA Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Senegal MARICAR GARDE Policy Officer for Economic and Social Development at Save the Children UK BINGJIE HU is a PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Maryland, USA RAMOS MABUGU heads the Research and Policy Division at the Financial and Fiscal Commission of South Africa HÉLÈNE MAISONNAVE works at the Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) Research Network, University of Laval, Canada PAOLA PEREZNIETOResearch Fellow at Social Development Programme, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), UK APARNA RAO Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs, USA NICHOLAS REES works in the Policy Advocacy Unit, UNICEF, USA CELIA REYES Senior Research Fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies VÉRONIQUE ROBICHAUD Researcher at the Inter-University Centre on Risk, Economic Policies, and Employment, Canada DEBRA SHEPHERD Researcher in the Social Policy Research Group, Department of Economics, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa ALELLIE SOBREVIÑAS Research Associate at the Community-based Monitoring System (CBMS) programme, Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies, De La Salle University, Philippines ANDY SUMNER Research Fellow in the Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction Team, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Sussex, UK. NINA THELEN Policy Analyst at the Office of Development Studies, UN Development Programme (UNDP), USA LUCA TIBERTI Postdoctoral Researcher at the Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) Research Network, University of Laval, Canada SERVAAS VAN DER BERG Professor of Economics and National Research Chair in the Department of Economics of Social Policy, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa DIETER VON FINTEL Lecturer in Economics at University of Stellenbosch, South Africa JENN YABLONSKI Social Protection Specialist at UNICEF, USA YANCHUN ZHANG Policy Specialist at the Office of Development Studies, UN Development Programme(UNDP), USA

Inhalt
Introduction: Towards Global Recovery for All; C.Harper Learning from Past Financial Crises: How are Children Affected?; C. Harper & P. Pereznieto Infant Mortality during Economic Downturns and Recovery; R.Mendoza & N.Rees Education and Health Spending Patterns through the Business Cycle: An Empirical Analysis; N.Doytch, B.Hu & R.Mendoza Simulating the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis and Policy Responses on Children in West and Central Africa; J.Cockburn, I.Fofana & L.Tiberti Child Poverty in South Africa and the Global Financial and Economic Crisis; R.Mabugu, S.van der Berg, D.Shepherd, M.Chitiga, B.Decaluwé, H.Maisonnave, V.Robichaud & D. von Fintel Lessons from the Financial Crisis: Remittances and Social Assistance among Left-Behind Children and Women in Mexico; J.Cortina Children in Crisis in the Philippines: Insights and Evidence from Community-based Monitoring Systems; C.Reyes, A.Sobreviñas, J.de Jesus & S.Calubayan Turning Crisis into Opportunity for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS: Responding to the Financial, Fuel and Food Crises; C.Harper Child Poverty Impacts and Public Budgets: Tracking the Global Economic Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa; A.Sumner Social Protection Responses to Crises and Their Impacts on Children: Learning from Past Lessons in Indonesia and Ethiopia; M.Garde & J.Yablonski Social Protection in Fiscal Stimulus Packages; Y.Zhang, N.Thelen & A.Rao Conclusion: Revisiting the Main Lessons and Rethinking Crisis Response; R.Mendoza, E.Strand & D.Stewart