The document discusses findings from the Young Lives study in India, focusing on child poverty, education disparities, and gender gaps. It highlights the challenges faced by marginalized groups, particularly in accessing education, and the growing gender disparity during adolescence. Recommendations include addressing multidimensional poverty and recognizing adolescence as a critical period for intervention.

1. Young Lives, child poverty and lessons for the SDGs
Intersecting Inequalities:
Evidence from Young Lives, India
Child Development Panel: 'Can we provide food for life and effective education for all’
27th June, London
Dr Renu Singh
Young Lives Country Director
@yloxford
@RenusabSingh
@YoungLivesIndia

2. Overview
1. Sample
2. Poverty Across Time
3. Gender Gaps in Enrolment
4. Determinants of Secondary School Completion and Early
Marriage
5. Recommendations

3.  Young Lives is tracking 3,000
children (2,000 Younger Cohort
and 1,000 Older Cohort) in
Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana
and Andhra Pradesh) over 15
years
 Children randomly selected (50
Older Cohort and 100 Younger
Cohort children per site)
 Roughly equal numbers of boys
and girls
 Mix of urban and rural sites
 Mixed Methods
Sampling Young Lives (India)

4.  Less than a third of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and rural households had access to sanitation
facilities in R5.
 A third of ST households and 14% Scheduled Caste (SC) and rural households
remained persistently poor.
Certain groups experience
multiple deprivations despite economic growth

5. Gender gap in school enrolment across time
 Gaps in enrolment widen during adolescence along lines of gender, poverty and
social disadvantage in India.
 Disparities in India are the result of inequitable investment in girls’ education, poor
or unsafe school environments, and competing demands on girls’ time because of
work.
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Ethiopia Andhra Pradesh Peru Vietnam
Age 8 Age 12 Age 15 Age 19
Girls more
likely to be
enrolled
Boys more
likely to be
enrolled
% point

6. Increasing enrolment gaps based on poverty

7. 25.1
21.4
62.3
10.6 11.6 12.7
20.4
45.7
23.2
50.4
37.1
80.3
31.3 29.3
21.7
44.2
70.4
44.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Male Female Urban Rural Scheduled
Castes
Scheduled
Tribes
Backward
Classes
Other
Castes
Total
8 year old cohort in 2002 (OC R1) 8 year old cohort in 2009 (YC R3)
Inequalities in access to low-fee charging
private schools

8. Source: OC and YC Children, Young Lives Longitudinal Survey (2009 – 2016)
 % of OC children who answered all comparable maths questions correctly at
15 years : 11.8%
 % of YC children answered all comparable maths questions correctly at 15
years : 10.0%
No improvement in learning levels
51.8
33.8
29.4
9.7
54.5
37.9
25.4
9.0
0
20
40
60
80
100
9.81 + 7.62 Reading a pie
chart
Approximating
annual sales from
weekly data
Average score of 3
maths questions
Government schools 2009 2016%
74.9
55.1
40.9
20.2
74.3
43.2
31.9
14.0
0
20
40
60
80
100
9.81 + 7.62 Reading a pie
chart
Approximating
annual sales from
weekly data
Average score of
3 maths
questions
Private schools 2009 2016

9. Who is Studying at 19? (India)
43.9
57.9
56.1
42.1
0
20
40
60
80
100
Male Female
Inpercentage
Pursuing Education at 19***
Not Enrolled at age 19 Enrolled at age 19
61.4
59.0
68.5
32.7
38.6
41.0
31.5
67.3
0
20
40
60
80
100
SC ST BC OC
Inpercentage
Caste and Enrolment for Girls at 19 ***
38.5
63.5
61.5
36.5
0
20
40
60
80
100
Urban Rural
Inpercentage
Place of Residence and Enrolment for Girls***

10. 28.8
20.6
17.8
43.2
11.1 8.6
31.3
17.5
8.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
Marriage Domestic
work
Long absence
from school
Marriage Domestic
work
Long absence
from school
Marriage Domestic
work
Long absence
from school
Before Upper-primary Before Secondary Before Higher Secondary
Girls
%ofChildren
26.9
21.2
13.5
34.8
17.4
13.0
21.2 20.0
10.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
Long absence
from school
Paid work Domestic
work
Long absence
from school
Paid work Domestic
work
Paid work Long absence
from school
Banned from
school
Before Upper-primary Before Secondary Before Higher Secondary
Boys
%ofChildrenTop three reasons for discontinuing education

11. Gendered responsibilities grow from early
adolescence
Gender differences in
time-use increase during
adolescence
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls
12 years 15 years 19 years
hoursperday
Time spent on work and care (older cohort only)
Caring for others Domestic work Unpaid work Paid work
 In practice, both girls and
boys do different kinds of
paid and unpaid work.
 Girls do more domestic and
care work than boys.
 Boys do more paid work.
 Girls total paid and unpaid
work is greater than boys.

12. Poverty, location, risk and responsibility in early
adolescence shape later trajectories
Predictors of secondary school completion:
 No paid work at 12 years
 Fewer hours of domestic chores (girls)
 Better reading scores at age 8
 Higher self-efficacy at age 12
Predictors of early marriage & teenage pregnancy:
 Not enrolled at 15 years
 Lower child aspirations for education
 Lower wealth & caregiver aspiration
Adult illness, death of caregiver and dowry debt
have long term consequences for adolescents in
the household.

13. Recommendations
 Important to pay special attention to the accumulation
and maintenance of human capital over the life course
 Recognise and address multi-dimensional childhood
poverty
 Adolescence remains an under recognised second
critical window of opportunity
 Address persisting social norms and expectations

14. Finding out more
• Round 5 fact sheets available
• Datasets via UK Data Service
• Dataviz & infographics
• e-newsletter
• www.younglives-india.org
@yloxford
@YoungLivesIndia