Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Universal Children’s Day will be celebrated across the globe, including Pakistan, on Monday with a call for ensuring the rights of children. According to details, various public and private organisations will have to arrange seminars, conferences, rallies and walks to show the plight of those children who are deprived of basic amenities of life.

On December 14, 1954, the UN General Assembly recommended that all countries should introduce an annual event from 1956 known, as Universal Children’s Day to encourage fraternity and understanding between children all over the world and promoting the welfare of children. Many of the countries respected this recommendation and the Universal Children’s Day has since been annually observed on November 20 every year.

‘Save the Children’ is going to commemorate the Universal Children’s Day this year with an event on November 21 that will focus on the theme, ‘Stop Violence Against Children’. According to UNICEF, every year millions of children around the world become victims of untold violence. Children in every country, every culture and at every social level face various forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. The abuse takes place at home, in school, in institutions, at work, in the community, in armed conflict and natural disasters.

Much violence against children, such as corporal punishment and sexual abuse, remains legal and socially approved in many countries.

The violence children face takes many forms, such as exploitation and abuse, trafficking, physical and humiliating punishment, harmful traditional practices (including early marriage and genital mutilation/cutting) and recruitment into armed forces and groups.

Growing up with violence and abuse seriously affects a child’s development, dignity, and physical and psychological integrity.

Published in Daily Times, November 19^th 2017.