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Formalizing safety nets and the requirements to obtain them: An increased role for identity documents in the Global South

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  • Wendy Hunter

Abstract

Having a birth certificate is a stepping stone to acquiring an array of rights and benefits, including other documents necessary to navigate in and outside of one's home country. Despite its importance, many children in the developing world never obtain a birth certificate. Whether one does so or not often depends on ethnicity, race, gender, and age. This working paper examines some of the crucial causes and consequences of not acquiring this key document.

Suggested Citation

  • Wendy Hunter, 2016. "Formalizing safety nets and the requirements to obtain them: An increased role for identity documents in the Global South," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-112, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2016-112
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    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/wp2016-112.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Steve Brito & Ana Corbacho & Rene Osorio, 2017. "Does birth under-registration reduce childhood immunization? Evidence from the Dominican Republic," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Steve Brito & Ana Corbacho & Rene Osorio, 2017. "Does birth under-registration reduce childhood immunization? Evidence from the Dominican Republic," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-18, December.
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    6. Corbacho, Ana & Brito, Steve & Osorio Rivas, Rene, 2012. "Birth Registration and the Impact on Educational Attainment," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 4060, Inter-American Development Bank.
    7. Armando Barrientos, 2012. "What is the Role of Social Pensions in Asia?," Labor Economics Working Papers 23294, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
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    10. De La O,Ana Lorena, 2015. "Crafting Policies to End Poverty in Latin America," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107089488.
    11. Fagernäs, Sonja, 2014. "Papers, please! The effect of birth registration on child labor and education in early 20th century USA," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 63-92.
    12. Armando Barrientos, 2012. "What is the Role of Social Pensions in Asia?," ADBI Working Papers 351, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    13. Armando Barrientos, 2012. "What is the Role of Social Pensions in Asia?," Development Economics Working Papers 23294, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rachel M. Gisselquist, 2019. "Legal Empowerment and Group-Based Inequality," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(3), pages 333-347, March.
    2. Rachel M. Gisselquist, 2018. "Legal empowerment and group-based inequality," WIDER Working Paper Series 039, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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