Digitalisation of birth registration system in Malaysia: Boon or bane for the hard-to-reach and marginalised?
J Migr Health
; 6: 100137, 2022.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2041957
ABSTRACT
Access to birth registration among the refugees, migrants, and undocumented or stateless individuals in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia remains hindered largely due to their lack of legal status. This study identifies the barriers to birth registration faced by these communities, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, and explores the extent to which digital technologies may overcome or amplify these barriers. Findings are reported from a review of literature, websites, and media articles and semi-structured interviews with community-based organisations and community leaders representing the communities. The themes for the questions were structured based on Plan International's (2015) Step-by-step Guide for Identifying and Addressing the Risks to Children in Digitised birth registration systems. We identified that the digitalisation of birth registration poses more risks of exclusion than benefits to the marginalised communities without a secure and inclusive operating environment. Subject to an inequality assessment to evaluate and address the existing inequalities, a hybrid system that factors in the role of citizen facilitation hubs would be ideal for ensuring no one gets "left behind".
ADB, Asian Development Bank; Birth registration; COMANGO, the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs in the UPR process; COVID-19; CRC, convention on the rights of the child; CRVS, civil registration and vital statistics; DBR, digitised birth registration; DHRRA, development of human resources for rural areas; DOSM, department of statistics Malaysia; Digitalisation; IFRC, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; Legal identity; MOH, ministry of health; Migrants; NRD, national registration department; OHCHR, office of the united nations high commissioner for human rights; Refugees; SDG, sustainable development goals; SMRP, medical care information system; Statelessness; UDHR, universal declaration of human rights; UN DESA, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; UN LIEG, United Nations legal identity expert group; UN, United Nations; UNDP, United Nations Development Programme; UNESCAP, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; UNGA, United Nations General Assembly; UNHCR, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; UNHRC, United Nations Human Rights Council; UNICEF, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund; UNLIA, United Nations Legal Identity Agenda; UNSD, United Nations Statistics Division
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Language:
English
Journal:
J Migr Health
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.jmh.2022.100137
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