New directions in international development research: a focus on children

Most international development research has either ignored children or relegated them to a secondary status. This is unfortunate because children represent one of the most vulnerable groups in most societies. In contrast to previous studies, this paper proposes a framework for examining children from a global perspective. It argues that children's quality of life is influenced by a variety of factors at the international, national, and local levels. Perhaps most important, the global debt crisis has forced poor countries to implement austerity measures (e.g., cuts in health and education spending) designed to facilitate debt repayment. These policies take resources away from children and affect national governmental strategies, which, in turn, influence phenomena at the community, village, and even household levels. To illustrate these issues, part of the paper focuses on events in Zambia, a country that has experienced substantial hardship in recent years. Such difficulties have harmed the health and education prospects for that nation's children.