We cannot at this point in time where several indicators with regards to children development and protection are going into red, just view things within fragmented perspective. This paper may be used as a basis for understanding the child today and the context and challenges that he will have to face in the coming years

● <B>The foundation of this paper </B>

On a scientific ground, virtually all environmental problems have underlying social, economic or political causes which either led to environmental problem in the first place or explain why it is addressed. This can lead to problem whose origin is essentially social or political or economical as Environmental?

It is generally acknowledged that the macro and micro economic context economic impact significantly over the overall human development particularly the child

The factors specified impacts significantly on the overall development of families and impacts directly the survival, development and protection of children in the republic of Mauritius. Let briefly see these factors.

? The international economic and political context

? The national Social Economic and Environmental Context

? Household?s Social, Economic and Environment al Context.

? Parental and Child Knowledge /Capacity and Gender Relations within households

? The Level of Infant and child health

● <B> The state of the Mauritian economy AND THE CHILD - a brief perspective

According to the Human Development Report, Mauritius is classified among the first 20 medium Human Development countries, ranking from 71st in 1999, 63rd in 2000 and67th in 2002.

? The EPZ exports represented 70% of the domestic exports in 2001 and contributed 10, 2 % of the GDP

? Tourism has evolved as the third pillar of the economy and contributes significantly to the economic growth and development of Mauritius mainly in terms of employment and export earnings

? The manufacturing sector in Mauritius comprises of the sugar mills, production activities meant for the Export Processing Zone and the non EPZ Sector

● <B>Earnings </B>

Nearly 60 % of the population earns monthly income of Rs 6,000 or less

Less than one quarter (23.7 %) earning Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000

9.6% between Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000

0.9% between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000.

0.3% above Rs 50,000.

● <B> Inequity in wealth distribution: A threat to children </B>

When poverty engulfs a family it is always the child who is the most vulnerable and mostly affected

The economic inequity has been highlighted in the new Government?s Programme 2005-2010. The statement reads as follows:

The concentration of ownership of assets, especially over the last years, is one of the factors accounting for the present downturn in the national economic situation. This concentration of ownership of assets is not only unfair, but also gives rise to misallocation and inefficiency in the utilization of resources and thus impedes growth.

● <B>Poverty: a threat to CHILD DEVELOPMENT </B>

This situation is clearly depicted in one of the statements made in the New Government Programme 2005-2010 that reads as follows:

It is a cause for concern that pockets of poverty have increased in many parts of our society. Vulnerable groups do not have access to resources and facilities enjoyed by most of our citizens and continue to lag behind in the mainstream of sustainable development. This has led to the serious problem of social exclusion

● <B>The impact of the losts of employment in the EPZ sector on the household and family and child?s security </B>

A study carried by the UNDP in the EPZ sector on the impact of the closing down of factories on workers confirms the following

? 30% of the overall workforce in the sector has decreased

? 84% are women and16% man and most of them come from the rural areas this confirms that women are very vulnerable in the sector.

? The lost employment has affected the overall household economic security

? The motivation for most of the women to work in the EPZ sector is to meet the family expenses related to the education of their children, child care and housing project

? To cope with the reduction of family income, cost related to food item like meat fish, clothing, and leisure were cut down. (46.9 % claims to have reduced cost on food item, 31.8 % on clothing and 20% on leisure and 9% has stop sending their children to secondary school.

? Health Security: many suffered stress, hypertension, and psychosomatic diseases and needed psychological counselling.

● <B>Commercial exploitation of children </B>

The commercial exploitation of children has been an issue of great concern for quite some time in Mauritius. It is difficult to confirm the figures, but based on fieldwork carried out by the authorities concerned, it is estimated that there must be 2600 girls below the age of 18 are currently involved.

It is estimated that 60% of the sexual workers are minor, while a few are still at school.

About 30% of victim interviewed were in the age group 12-15 years old Out of 12 children interviewed, 18% is still in school

● <B>Low Birth Weigh Babies</B>

During the last few years, the issue of low birth weigh babies has become another area of health concern. . The rate of low weigh birth babies was 9.5 % in 1991, 15% in 1996 and 13% 2001. The main causes or risks factors are poverty, unhealthy diets, heavy load works of working women who try to combine their work and their home responsibilities.

● <B>Environmental security ? the child </B>

The Rio Janeiro 1992, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development succeeded to bring the world commitment to the gaol of sustainable development. The outcome was AGENDA 21, an ambitious programme of action on 39 environment and development issues and they provides the basis for action

Mauritius produces 21 millions cubic meters of industrial waste and 2.7 millions tons of green house gases annually. If this trend continues, it won?t be long before our environment, public health and socio-economic development, which depend heavily on tourism, are jeopardized.

● <B>The constraints regarding Environmental Security in Mauritius </B>

The demographic pressure and augmented urbanization and industrialization.

The impact of such pollution range from mere annoyance to irritation of the skin, increased cough, exacerbation of respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic bronchitis

● <B>Women and children Victims of Violence: a threat to Child Survival and Development </B>

Although Domestic Violence has been in existence for more than five years, there is still a rise in the number of women victims of violence and abuses in Mauritius. The sad human stories regarding children and women victims continue to be the sensational news of the media.

Official figures confirm that in 1999, there have been 1510 cases of women victims of violence and 1235 in 2000.In 2000, 7065 cases of women complaining of various family problems: being in conflict with partner and1121 domestic violence. There has been 2387 male complaint.

A survey carried out on Domestic Violence in 1998 has shown that:

95% of the victims of domestic violence were women

56% of domestic violence was due to alcoholism

24% to adultery

85% violence occurs on daily basis

This paper was presented by<B> Shiam REEDHA</B> at a Colloquium on children in distress Organised by Fondation pour l?enfance Terre de Paix.