UNICEF has again called for an end to institutionalized violence in schools by abolishing corporal punishment and scaling up strategies for alternative forms of discipline, which do not include corporal punishment in any of its many forms.
In a message to mark Universal Children’s Day, which was observed on Friday, UNICEF Representative Marianne Flach stated that all levels of society, including families and communities must play a greater part in preventing, treating and responding to all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation.
Noting that inequality is the most pressing challenge of our time, the statement said that every child has the right to an identity and a life free from violence. “In Guyana, the levels of inter-personal violence, including domestic and sexual violence are still a cause for great concern and action,” it said.
Highlighting small gains made in the condition of children globally, the release noted too that indicators show that children are better protected today than they were at the outset of the Millennium Development Goals era. “For children under age 5, the global proportion of birth registration – which helps to safeguard their access to essential services such as education and health care – rose from 58 per cent to 65 per cent between 2000 and 2010, and the ratio of girls married before their eighteenth birthday has improved from one in three in 1990 to one in four today. Despite these encouraging steps forward, globally we are still far from ensuring children are adequately protected. Children continue to feel the devastating effects of abuse and violence,” it stated.
Pointing to a troubling situation in Africa, the release said that if current levels of registration persist in conjunction with increasing births, the number of unregistered children in Eastern and Southern Africa – currently 44 million – will rise to 68 million by 2050, and will almost double in West and Central Africa.
Within countries, national averages mask much larger gaps between geographic sub-areas. Around the world, children from certain religious and ethnic groups, living in rural or peripheral areas, and born to poor families or uneducated mothers are all less likely to have their births registered, it noted.
In Guyana, the release said, while good progress has been made in registering at least 89% of all births, there is still work to be done to ensure that the remaining births are registered, with special emphasis on closing the gaps for unregistered children living in hinterland and rural areas. UNICEF is working with the Government of Guyana to strengthen collective efforts to achieve 100% birth registration, so that all children will be able to fully access services and enjoy their rights, it added.
Meanwhile, it stated that UNICEF had released the largest-ever compilation of data on violence against children in 2014, setting the stage for the monitoring of trends in the future. The report revealed that children and youth under the age of 20 account for almost one in five homicide victims in the world – 95,000 in 2012 alone. Data from a wide cross-section of countries indicates that, on average, about four in five children between the ages of 2 and 14 are subjected to violent disciplinary methods at home. This form of violence is pervasive in all regions.
Giving a fair chance in life to every child, especially the most disadvantaged, offers the greatest hope of breaking intergenerational cycles of inequity and poverty in every society. Flach was quoted as stating, “721 million fewer people live in poverty today than 30 years ago, but let us not forget that 47% of those living in poverty are children.”
Investing in children, particularly the most vulnerable, brings numerous benefits, not only for children but also for their families, communities and economies. We must recommit to working together to ensure that all children have the right to grow up free from violence, and are given every opportunity to reach their full potential, the release added.
Universal Children’s Day is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international awareness of children’s rights, and advocate for collective action to improve the lives of all children regardless of gender, race or socio-economic status. Universal Children’s Day also marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General Assembly adopted the Conven-tion on the Rights of the Child.
