Child Protection from Violence, Exploitation and Abuse
2015-09-24
Latest progress:
In 2012:
- Birth Registration: UNICEF supported 29.5 million children’s registration at birth in about 80 countries, thus helping to ensure the social and legal rights of these newborns.
- Social Protection: UNICEF supported social protection intervention in 104 countries. Of these, about one third were large-scale national social cash transfer programmes that reached hundreds of thousands of children, including orphans and child-headed households.
- Children with disabilities: UNICEF worked in 40 countries on initiatives to promote the rights of children with disabilities. In September, UNICEF hosted the first Forum of the Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities. Children with disabilities are able to voice out their their concerns in the post-2015 development agenda to 240 participants from more than 100 organisations.
- Children in armed conflicts: UNICEF helped over 5,300 Children in nine countries associated with armed forces or groups reintegrated into their families and communities. Seven countries ratified on the involvement of children in armed conflict, inging the total number of ratifying States Parties to 151.
- Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): As a result of UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C, some 1,775 communities across abandoned the FMG/C practice, ing the cumulative communities who have ended the practice to 10,000.
- War and Children: Three new mine action programmes were launched in 2012, with about 20 countries worldwide now operating such UNICEF-supported programmes.
- Child labour: 11 countries ratified the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, inging the total number of ratifying States Parties to 163.
- Partnership: UNICEF partners provided social welfare services, alternative care, and psychosocial support in over 98 countries.
- Sexual violence: A total of 87 programme countries (up from 78 in 2011) now have legal or policy frameworks in place for preventing and responding to sexual violence in line with international norms and standards
- Right to Play: UNICEF provided 1.4 million children with safe access to community spaces for socializing, play, learning, etc.
Millions of children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child labour in communities, schools and institutions; during armed conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage.
Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is an integral component of protecting their rights to survival, growth and development.UNICEF advocates and supports the creation of a protective environment for children in partnership with governments and partners. National child protection systems, protective social practices and children’s own empowerment coupled with good oversight and monitoring are among the elements of a protective environment and enable countries, communities and families to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation and abuse.