Coram International has recently been awarded a large-scale institutional contract to carry out a Situation Analysis (SitAn) of Children Affected by Migration in Southeast Asia on behalf of UNICEF EAPRO. The consultancy falls under a wider EU-funded programme to protect children affected by migration in Southeast, South and Central Asia between 2018 and 2021. The SitAn aims to contribute to the evidence base on ‘children affected by migration’ in the region, including migrant children, internally forcibly displaced children, cross-border migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and ‘children left behind’, as well as undocumented, stateless, smuggled and trafficked children. The research will investigate the protection risks facing these populations of children, including new risks emerging in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the scale and drivers of child migration in the region, with a particular focus on Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The study will employ a mixed-methods approach to data collection. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with key stakeholders at the regional and national level, as well as community members, children and families in each of the focus countries, in order to gather in-depth contextual information on the realities of child migration in the region. Quantitative methods will be employed in order to elaborate upon and quantify the drivers, risks and experiences identified by the qualitative research. Primary data collection will be preceded by an in-depth literature review and legislative analysis of regional, bilateral and national laws relevant to children affected by migration in the 10 ASEAN states.
In January of 2019, UNICEF Myanmar contracted Coram International to undertake a ‘Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Residential Care Facilities in Myanmar’. The study aimed to contribute to efforts by the Government of Myanmar to address the over-reliance on un-regulated institutional care in the country. Given the lack of evidence on residential care in Myanmar, the assessment gathered disaggregated data on all forms of residential care in Myanmar, the nature of care provided, and conditions of children living in institutions. The assessment included the development of a comprehensive and standardised monitoring tool package to be used by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement (MSW) to conduct routine assessments of residential care facilities going forward. The results of the assessment will support MSW to develop a strategy for deinstitutionalization of children and to ensure that all residential institutions for children are registered and monitored for compliance with the Minimum Standards of Care and Protection for Children in Residential Facilities (MCS).
In 2019 Coram International was contracted to conduct a situation analysis of children in the ten ASEAN member states (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam). The analysis and report first considered progress in the region in the 30 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the child across health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, child protection and social protection. It then moved on to consider remaining challenges, emerging issues and opportunities in the early years (early moments matter), in the context of environment (safe and sustainable environment) and in adolescence (adolescent potential unleashed), particularly in light of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda. The report concludes with recommendations for future action. The final report is available via this link.
In 2017, Coram International finalised a ‘Formative Evaluation of UNICEF’s strategy and approach to child protection systems in Myanmar’ for UNICEF Myanmar. For this study, the team developed and implemented a mixed methods research methodology in order to assess the merit and worth of the decision-making processes since the mid-term review, in relation to the development of a child protection system in Myanmar and particularly the use of social work case management as a key point of entry to protect human rights. The study included data collection in Rakhine State, which touched upon many of the issues relating to migration and children.
In 2016, Coram International conducted a qualitative research study for Care International in Myanmar exploring the causes and consequences of adolescents’ and young parents’ sexual and reproductive health related behaviours in villages in Northern Shan State. The research explored the causes and consequences of harmful behaviours, and identified young people’s vulnerabilities along with opportunities for intervention, to inform the development of evidence-based strategies for encouraging positive behaviour change.
In 2013, Professor Carolyn Hamilton and Coram International conducted a mapping and analysis of national legislation related to violence against children in each of the ten ASEAN Member States (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). This mapping and analysis compared national legislation to international laws, standards and best practices, including the recommendations and findings from UNICEF’s Violence Against Children Study. The project included a detailed comparison across the ten ASEAN Member States, highlighting common issues, concerns, or successes and making recommendations for legislative reform.
