SIB, UNICEF and DYS Hold Consultation on Multidimensional Poverty with Young Persons

PRESS RELEASE

SIB, UNICEF, and DYS Hold Consultation on Multidimensional Poverty with Young Persons

The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Department of Youth Services (DYS), recently completed two Multidimensional Poverty Index consultation sessions with young persons as part of its ongoing efforts to develop the country’s first national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).

The first of these consultation sessions, held in Belize City on August 18th, saw the participation of over 75 young persons. The second, held in Punta Gorda Town on August 19th, had over 50 participants. The activity was facilitated jointly by UNICEF, DYS, and the SIB, and both days included presentations on multidimensional poverty by youth representatives as well as group discussions on how young persons experience poverty in Belize.

The MPI, used by more than 100 countries around the world, is a broad measure of multidimensional poverty developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) to complement traditional monetary poverty measures. Based on the idea that the experience of poverty goes beyond just a lack of monetary resources, the MPI seeks to quantify the incidence and extent of deprivation across various dimensions, including health, education, and living standards. The indicators used to measure deprivation within these dimensions are customizable at the country level, allowing for national context to be considered. The SIB, with technical support from OPHI and in consultation with key stakeholders, is presently developing the national MPI for Belize, which is scheduled to be published in October of this year. Data collection was carried out in September 2021 with financial support provided by UNICEF, while technical assistance for the development of the country’s MPI is being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank.

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