Stop Child Exploitation
Protection of children from violence and abuse
Children worldwide suffer from abhorrent acts of violence, exploitation and abuse—horrors no child should ever know or experience. Over 300 million of them are subjected to hazardous physical labor, commercial sex exploitation and child trafficking. Others are irrevocably harmed by cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and early marriage. Without basic protections, children are at risk of death, disease, poor physical and mental development, and homelessness.
UNICEF cooperates with governments, NGOs, and international organizations to stop abuse and violence towards children and to protect vulnerable young people through widespread advocacy of legislation, monitoring systems and rehabilitation and recovery programs. It also works with communities to address harmful practices and empower children through educational, life-skills and prevention programs.
Progress is being made: for example, data show that the average age for marriage is steadily rising in Bangladesh, Guinea, and Nepal—countries where child wedlock is prevalent.
Special child protection in emergencies and conflict
Children are especially vulnerable to abuse and exploitation and trafficking during emergencies and armed conflicts.
During times of crisis, UNICEF works diligently to care for children who have been separated from their families; to create protective "child-friendly" spaces; and to offer medical treatment and counseling. In countries wracked by violent conflict and upheaval, UNICEF protects children from military conscription, works to stop trafficking, and helps child soldiers and sex slaves recover and reintegrate into their communities. In 2009 alone, UNICEF facilitated the release of 2,813 child soldiers from on-going civil conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
UNICEF actively advocates to protect children and women from the systematic sexual violence that is increasingly used as a weapon of war.
Without protection from violence and exploitation, children’s basic survival and development are at risk. Every day, millions of child laborers, sex workers and soldiers are denied their fundamental right to safety and security. UNICEF's child protection programs strive to create a world where every child grows up free from fear and harm.
Related Child Protection Links
September 2, 2010
U.S. Fund for UNICEF eligible for $200K in funding from American Express
The U.S. Fund for UNICEF has been selected as a candidate for funding from American Express through Members Project®, a partnership between American Express and TakePart. A win in this current round of voting could mean $200,000 for UNICEF child-friendly projects in refugee and displaced persons camps around the world. On-line voting has begun and is open to anyone who has joined Members Project.
August 24, 2010
UNICEF program protects girls' rights in Sudan
UNICEF is working in Sudan to end the deeply-rooted practice of female genital cutting. The UNICEF-designed "Saleema" program celebrates girls who have not undergone cutting, using mass media to encourage families to discontinue the practice. By stressing the issue as a violation of human rights, the program hopes to see the end of the tradition within a generation.
August 16, 2010
Angola promotes a child's right to birth registration
In a province of southern Angola where poverty is prevalent and literacy is low, mothers are learning the unexpected importance of a simple document – the birth certificate. UNICEF and partners are supporting efforts to get mothers and caretakers to take advantage of free birth registration for their babies to ensure their future rights.
