Situation analySiS

Situation analySiS of Children in uganda 2015decisions can affect child poverty, education, health, nutrition and protection. Withover 50% of the population below the age of 18, children’s cognitive developmentrepresents Uganda’s greatest natural resource. Mainstreaming of investments inchildren into fiscal policy through a transparent and participatory budgetary processstands a necessary precondition for Uganda to reap full benefits from the demographicdividend and achieve Vision 2040.Institutionalise child indicators in national statistics, surveys, and policydocuments such as the National Development Plan: Child-specific indicators arenecessary to monitor and assess progress in children’s wellbeing. The indicatorsshould be disaggregated by socioeconomic characteristics to measure disparitiesin child wellbeing within the country. The overall policy framework should aim toeliminate inequalities in access to services, opportunities and outcomes for children.This can only be achieved if child-focused indicators are regularly collected andmonitored, and national policy includes specific goals to improve children’s wellbeing.Develop a National Child Participation Strategy: Child participation remainscharacterised by fragmented and time-limited initiatives. Developing a national childparticipation strategy to serve as an action plan with main interventions, timeframes,targets, key institutions and their specific roles and expected outcomes is a criticalstep towards establishing a better enabling environment for child participationin Uganda. Anchored on Uganda’s constitution and legal framework, and firmlyharnessed on the UNCRC, this strategy can pave the way for sustainable avenues forchildren to participate in discussions around issues that affect them at the nationaland local level.ExECUtIvE SUMMary17