UNICEF and Central Statistical Office Deliver Vital Data on Women & Children

Policymakers now have insights into the needs and challenges facing children and women in Trinidad and Tobago, after the publication of the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey report.

The survey, conducted by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) in partnership with the UNICEF Eastern Caribbean office, was launched on January 26 at the Ministry of Planning in Port of Spain. 

Nearly 7,500 households participated in the survey, which was conducted from August to December, 2022. 

The survey covered a vast array of issues, including breastfeeding rates, immunization uptake, early childhood development, forms of discipline used with children, and water and sanitation access.

Delivering remarks, UN Resident Coordinator, Joanna Kazana, said,

"𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐍 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐖𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐒 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧."

Minister of Planning and Development, The Honourable Pennelope Beckles, and Acting Director of Statistics at the CSO, Mr. Andre Blanchard Key, also attended the MICS report launch.

Key findings from the MICS include:

• 67% of children ages 1-14 experience some form of violent discipline
• 45% of babies were breastfed until age 1
• Mothers were 3 times more likely to support young children with learning than fathers

This snapshot of the situation facing women and children in Trinidad and Tobago will can help policymakers across the spectrum of Government, from public health to education, cater to the needs of these demographics in national development plans and programmes.

The statistics will also support T&T's efforts to monitor progress on the National Development Strategy or 'Vision 2030', and the Sustainable Development Goals.

MICS is a global survey instrument developed by UNICEF to create a pool of multipurpose data on households.

The last MICS was conducted in Trinidad and Tobago in 2011.

The findings can be viewed on a newly-launched data portal managed by the CSO, https://datanett.info/dashboard/mics#/