Universal Children’s Day Facts To Show Why It’s Important?
Universal Children’s Day Facts To Show Why It’s Important?
November 20th marks Universal Children’s Day every year. The event, created by the United Nations in 1954, promotes awareness and togetherness among children all over the world, as well as the well being and welfare of children. Important things have happened on November 20th, including the UN adopting the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. Universal Children’s Day is an important date to open up the conversation to discuss creating a better world for children everywhere. If you’re unsure why it’s such an important day, check out these facts that show why it’s so crucial that we continue to improve things for children worldwide.
Children in Poverty.
According to UNICEF, there are 2.2 billion children worldwide, and 1 billion of them live in poverty. That means that every second child is living in poverty, causing them to miss out on their childhood. Living in poverty can mean not having the basic necessities we all require to survive, from clean water to medical supplies. It might mean having to work instead of going to school, or even having no access to education at all.
Child Labour.
UNICEF says that in the poorest countries in the world, around 1 in 4 children is engaged in child labour. The numbers are highest in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as other areas of Africa, plus countries regarded as least developed countries.
Children in Conflict.
An estimated 1.6 million children have been killed in conflict since 1990. The mortality rate of children under five years of age is estimated to rise by 13 per cent during a five-year war. Many children in armed conflict are taken advantage of, and forced to be child soldiers. According to a UN report, over 8,000 children were killed and maimed in 2016 in countries such as Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Child Marriage.
Child marriage is a human rights violation, but it’s still a very common problem. Even in countries where you might not expect it to take place, you can still discover cases of it happening. Girls are much more likely to get married at a young age. In some regions, almost 15 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 were married by the time they were 15. Child marriage also affects boys, particularly in certain countries, such as the Central African Republic.
Education.
UNESCO says that 250 million children around the world are failing to acquire basic literacy skills. At least 750 million youth and adults can’t read or write. Education is a fundamental human right, but too many children don’t have access to the education they need and might not even be able to complete primary education. Education has been a key issue for children’s rights for a long time, but there is still a long way to go to improve things.
Universal Children’s Day is an important event because it gives everyone an opportunity to address these big issues affecting children around the world today.