Hands, minds and hearts. An examination of the relationship between child poverty, child rights and inequality

This study, published by Save the Children Sweden, explores current literature and ideas concerning child poverty, inequality and child rights. It begins with a consideration of how poverty has been defined, identified and measured and concludes that childhood poverty is at times not only more severe than that of adults, but is also conceptually distinct. The report then gives an overview of current ways of conceptualising child poverty and moves on to examine the relationship between child poverty and economic, social and cultural rights as well as the right to non-discrimination. It concludes with an examination of child poverty in the context of child rights programming and examines some of the implications raised for Save the Children Sweden’s work. A child rights based approach can be an ethical and effective tool for reducing child poverty, which exposes the inequalities and structures sustaining discrimination, social inequity and injustice.