Tag Archives: childrensrights

Lion: How an Oscar-Nominated Film is Helping to Change the Lives of India’s Street Children

The incredible story of Saroo Brierley has been brought to cinema screens with the release of the 2016 film Lion, starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. The film, adapted for the big screen from Brierley’s memoir A Long Way Home, tells the true story of how he reconnected with his birth family in rural India,Continue reading “Lion: How an Oscar-Nominated Film is Helping to Change the Lives of India’s Street Children”

The Silent Killer: Mental Health in Conflict Zones

When we consider the global impact of illness and disease, we might picture children in beds under mosquito nets to protect from malaria or the tightening of travel restrictions during the Ebola crisis. Most people would likely agree that disease is a pressing global issue, but few would think about mental health as a portionContinue reading “The Silent Killer: Mental Health in Conflict Zones”

Blurred Lines? Physical Discipline and Child Abuse: The Case for Legislation to Ban Corporal Punishm

According to UNICEF statistics, around 6 in 10 children worldwide between the ages of 2 and 14 are subject to physical punishment by their parents or caregivers on a regular basis. Such disciplinary practices, also known as corporal punishment, are defined by the United Nations as “any punishment in which physical force is used andContinue reading “Blurred Lines? Physical Discipline and Child Abuse: The Case for Legislation to Ban Corporal Punishm”

Lost Childhood: The Reality of Modern Day Child Marriage

It is estimated by UNICEF that there are over 700 million women alive today who were married as children. To put this in perspective, that is roughly ten times the population of the United Kingdom, or double the population of the United States. Of these women, more than one in three was married before theContinue reading “Lost Childhood: The Reality of Modern Day Child Marriage”

Nigeria and the Unspoken Effects of Boko Haram

In Nigeria, “nine million people need emergency relief; 4.5 million people are severely food insecure; [and] 2.5 million people have been forced from their homes,” according to the United Nations (UN). UNICEF stated that “an estimated 244,000 children faced severe malnourishment in Borno State alone and warn[ed] that an estimated 49,000 – one in fiveContinue reading “Nigeria and the Unspoken Effects of Boko Haram”

The United States’ Failure to Ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most widely accepted human rights treaty in the world. It describes the civil, political, economic, social, health, and cultural rights of children – including freedom of thought and religion, freedom from violence and abuse, the right to privacy, and the unhindered rightContinue reading “The United States’ Failure to Ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”

Review: Children Are Our Future

To mark the end of their Perspectives series, UNICEF On Campus hosted a panel discussion with three previous speakers on the 5th of April. The topic was children’s issues and the panelists delivered diverse perspectives rooted in their individual backgrounds which made the discussion lively, engaging, and informative. UNICEF has, once again, been able toContinue reading “Review: Children Are Our Future”

Sterility for Sale

Cash-for-sterilisation. It’s an idea that took me a while to get my head around, despite the fact that it really is as simple as it sounds. Established in 1997 by Barbara Harris, Project Prevention tours States and cities across America (recently expanding overseas), touting one simple message: “Don’t let a pregnancy ruin your drug habit”.Continue reading “Sterility for Sale”