Listen to Young Voices on World Children's Day
On November 20 — World Children's Day, UNICEF's annual day of action for children, by children — young people around the world will speak out on issues that matter most to kids — the right to quality education and a safe place to play, the right to be loved, healthy and hopeful.
Children and young people around the world are standing up for their rights
Youth actvists around the world are pressuring governments to make the policy changes urgently needed to fight climate change. © UNICEF/UN0340776/Nesbitt
UNICEF and partners are supporting children every step of the way
Every day, young people are raising awareness and helping to build a better world, where all children are cared for and protected, where girls and boys have equal opportunities to learn and grow on a sustainable planet.
This year, the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in a global child rights crisis. The costs of the pandemic are immediate and, if unaddressed, may last a lifetime. It's time for generations to come together to reimagine the type of world we want to create. As children around the world stand up for their rights, UNICEF and partners are there to support them every step of the way.
In the Mopti region of Mali, 15-year-old Fatoumata leads a radio show on COVID-19, dispelling misinformation and teaching her community how to stay safe from the novel coronavirus. © UNICEF/UNI332878/Keïta
Youth activists are speaking out on the issues that matter most
Young educators are combatting misinformation about COVID-19 and teaching their communities how to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus. "It's important for children and yong people to understand this illness, because we're the future of this country," says 15-year-old Fatoumata (above), who attended a journalist training program established by UNICEF and partners and now hosts a show on COVID-19 on a local community radio station in Mali's Mopti region. "Every country counts on its youth. When youth tremble, the earth crumbles."
Peer counselors are defending the rights of girls in their community to do all the things boys can do — everything from riding a bicycle to getting an education before even thinking about marriage. "Only the boys in our village own bicycles," explains Shobha (above), who works as a UNICEF-supported teen peer educator in Jalna, India. "We borrowed some bicycles from our friends and neighbors, so that even the girls would be able to ride them. Then we taught them to ride. Now 15 to 20 girls can ride a bike like a pro."
For World Children's Day 2020, nine Guatemalan artists and 25 boys and girls painted a mural at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. © UNICEF/UN0358743/Mussapp
Raise awareness for child rights on World Children's Day
This year is particularly special, as we celebrate 31 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child — the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history —and look ahead to the next 30 years. On World Children's Day and every day, let's re-commit to putting children first.
Landmark buildings around the world will light up blue on World Children's Day to raise awareness for child rights. You can help signal your support for the world's children by wearing something blue, shopping for Inspired Gifts — vital supplies children need to survive and thrive — and urging Congress to pass the Global Child Thrive Act to strengthen early childhood development in U.S. foreign assistance.
Your generous contribution will support UNICEF 's work to protect the rights and futures of children all over the world. Please donate.
Top photo, from left: Koumba, Jean Uriel, Mariam and Yasmine jump for joy before World Children's Day 2020 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. © UNICEF/UN0356693/Diarassouba
