On the eve of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, even Rome has to face a dramatic situation: the alarming imbalance between local social needs and welfare systems for minors. No less than 100,000 minors live in a condition of relative poverty in Rome.
This is the data that can be gleaned from the Report on Hardships and Poverty of Minors in Rome that was presented today at the Città educativa by Andrea De Dominicis as part of the meeting dedicated to New Generations in the Spotlight – Bill 285 in Rome.
"A comparison amongst the various types of data allows us to safely estimate the number of minors living in conditions of absolute poverty in Rome. If we look at the figure given by the CRC Committee for Rome (6.3%), we can calculate that, in Rome, nearly 30,000 children do not have the essential items to conduct a dignified life. If, on the other hand, we take the index of relative poverty (22.6%), this figure indicates that over 100,000 minors are in this situation in Rome.
These are large numbers that deserve specific investigation and the definition of strategies to fight the poverty of minors. If, in fact, we compare this data with that of minors who receive some form of social service (1.9% or less than 10,000 individuals), we get a confirmation of the imbalance between local social needs and the welfare system dedicated to minors.”
What do we mean by absolute or relative poverty? “The estimate of the incidence of relative poverty is calculated on the basis of a conventional limit (the line of poverty) that identifies the minimum expenses under which a family is considered as relatively poor. The incidence of absolute poverty is calculated on the basis of a threshold based on the minimum necessary monthly expenses to acquire the goods and services that – in an Italian context and for a given family – are considered to be essential to a minimum acceptable standard.” [Istat, La povertà in Italia, 2012].
The Report on Hardships and Poverty of Minors in Rome (Disagio e povertà minorile a Roma) was edited by Guido Antonelli Costaggini. The research team includes: Guido Antonelli Costaggini, Martina Giuffrè, Patrizia Piscitelli and Lucia Tardani.
The study, which was conducted by Assist s.r.l. in collaboration with the Rome Coordinating Team for Bill 285/97, will present a general overview of the various forms of minor hardships in the Italian capital city: economic poverty, insufficient education, disabilities, health risks, violence, exploitation, illegality, etc. This is an important step towards providing more knowledge of the conditions of minors in Rome and then adopting more efficient measures to assure them a better present and future.
