10th edition of the South African Child Gauge released

The 2015 edition of the only publication in the country that provides an annual snapshot of the status of the country's children, the South African Child Gauge, is now available for download or purchase.

The South African Child Gauge is published by the Children's Institute at UCT, in partnership with a range of other groups, including UCT's Poverty and Inequality Initiative.

This year's publication focuses on young people aged 15 to 24 and highlights the need for a range of interventions to support them as they transition into adolescence and young adulthood.

Says contributor Professor Murray Leibbrandt, UCT's pro-vice-chancellor for poverty and inequality: "Right now the majority of young people remain trapped in the continuing inequalities created by apartheid. This vicious cycle will continue to the next generation of children if we don't invest in youth today."

Currently, 59% of youth between the ages of 15 and 24 live in households with less than R620 per person per month, and many of them experience multiple forms of deprivation, including limited access to quality education, health care, housing and high levels of unemployment.

Poor youth also lack the beneficial kinds of social networks and information needed to access post-school education and the labour market.