Poverty is one of the most serious challenges facing the world today, with more than 30 percent of the world’s population estimated to be living in multidimensional poverty (UNDP, 2013). In developing countries poverty has been highly associated with rural areas and hence young economically active people have moved to urban areas in the hope of getting better lives for themselves and their families. This view, especially in Zimbabwe, has changed over the last two decades as poverty has become widespread in both urban and rural areas of Zimbabwe, with poverty in urban areas increasing at a faster rate than in rural areas. Results from the Poverty Income Consumption Expenditure Survey (PICES) of 2011/12 carried out by the National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) indicate that 38 per cent per cent of urban households, and almost 47 per cent of people living in urban areas in Zimbabwe were classified as poor. Unlike rural households, urban households almost always require cash to access social services such as health and education and hence greater need for households to have secure and consistent income to meet these costs. The urban dwellers usually face costly accommodation rentals, out-of-pocket payments for health, education, water and power supplies. Urban areas are highly associated with high levels of social fragmentation resulting in declining social cohesion and increased social exclusion especially for the poor women and children. Read more.
Submitted by Editor — Mon, 02/24/2014 – 10:25
Komisi Nasional Perlindungan Anak melaporkan sedikitnya ada 2.637 kasus kekerasan terhadap anak sepanjang tahun 2012 dan 62 persen diantaranya merupakan kekerasan seksual terhadap anak dimana mayoritas korban berasal dari kalangan ekonomi menengah ke bawah. Tren kasus kekerasan terhadap anak meningkat tiap tahunnya. Tingginya angka kekerasan ini menunjukkan betapa buruknya perlindungan anak dan minimnya kebijakan yang berpihak terhadap anak. Secara nasional, negara merespon dengan mengeluarkan undang-undang perlindungan anak yang menyatakan dengan jelas bahwa negara menjamin dan melindungi anak dan hak-haknya agar dapat hidup, tumbuh, berkembang secara optimal serta mendapat perlindungan dari kekerasan dan diskriminasi. Munculnya Undang-undang ini diikuti oleh keluarnya peraturan standar minimum pelayanan terpadu bagi perempuan dan anak korban kekerasan. Baca lebih lanjut atau bergabung dalam diskusi.
The National Commission for Child Protection reported at least 2,637 cases of violence against children in 2012 with 62 percent comprising of sexual abuse cases, in which the majority of the victims are from the middle and lower classes. Cases of child violence have seen an upward trend and are increasing each year. This high rate of violence points to the appalling state of child protection and to the lack of policies directed towards it. On a national level, the state has responded by issuing a child protection act which makes clear their guarantee to protect children and their rights in order for them to live, grow, achieve optimal development, and receive protection from violence and discrimination. The emergence of this act was followed by the issuance of minimum integrated service standard policies for women and child victims of violence. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by widya anggraini — Mon, 02/03/2014 – 00:00
Many of Accra’s street children are migrants from other parts of Ghana who followed others in the name of greener pastures. Other street children were trafficked to the city centre by older people and were left to fend for themselves. These children find ways to survive by engaging in activities ranging from being porters to selling goods on the street. The boys often earn money by shining shoes, pushing trucks, gathering refuse and carrying it to the dump site. Many also trade sex for money. In reaction to these alarming hardships, a number of important organizations are working to give these street children a voice, using a number of different approaches. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Felix Nyamedor — Mon, 02/03/2014 – 00:00
In February 2010, 12-year-old Rouvanjit Rawla, a student at a prestigious school in Kolkata, committed suicide after being humiliated and caned by his principal. The Rawla incident set off a firestorm of controversy over widespread accounts of corporal punishment in India’s schools – from the most elite institutions to those run by the government. The Ministry of Women and Child Development subsequently banned physical punishment of students, stating of the consequences, “The first violation of the ban will invite up to one year in jail, or a fine of Rs. 50,000 or both. For subsequent violations, imprisonment could be extended to three years with an additional fine of 25,000 rupees,” says an article on the issue. Despite the measures, reports of students continuing to receive harsh physical and verbal abuses from their superiors continue to plague India’s school system. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 02/03/2014 – 00:00
En al año 2001 se constituyó la Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México (REDIM). Es una sinergia de 73 organizaciones que buscan que se adopte la Convención de los Derechos de los Niños en los marcos legales de México y en el diseño de políticas públicas dirigidas a los niños. Leer más o discutir.
The Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México — REDIM (Network for Children’s Rights in Mexcio) was established in 2001. It is a synergy of 73 organizations seeking to adopt the Convención de los Derechos de los Niños (Convention of Children’s Rights) in the Mexican legal framework, as well as in the design of public policies directed related to children. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Maria Fernanda Carvallo — Mon, 02/03/2014 – 00:00
শিশু অধিকার লঙ্ঘনের দুটি চরম প্রতিমূর্তি শিশুদের উপর যৌন নির্যাতন এবং ধর্ষণ। উভয়ই বাংলাদেশে প্রায়শই দেখা যায় এবং দুটিই গুরুতর সমস্যা হিসেবে চিহ্নিত হয়েছে। “আস্ক ডকুমেন্টেশন ইউনিট” এর একটি পরিসংখ্যানে দেখা যায় যে ২০১৩ সালের জানুয়ারী থেকে সেপ্টেম্বর মাসের মধ্যে বাংলাদেশে ৫৪ টি শিশু, ৭ থেকে ১২ বছরের মধ্যে ১০২ জন অপ্রাপ্তবয়স্ক এবং ৮৬ জন কিশোরকিশোরী ধর্ষিত হয়েছে। বলার অপেক্ষা থাকে না যে, এই পরিসংখ্যান যৌন নির্যাতনে শিকার হওয়া শিশুদের প্রকৃত সংখ্যা প্রকাশ করে না। Read more or discuss.
Child molestation and rape are the extreme physical embodiment of violations of children’s rights. Both have been recognized as issues in Bangladesh: the ASK Documentation Unit reported that 54 infants, 102 minors between the ages of 7 and 12, and 86 teenagers were raped in Bangladesh between January and September 2013. It goes without saying that this figure does not convey the true number of children affected by rape. Read more or discuss.
Submitted by Editor — Mon, 02/03/2014 – 00:00
Assegurar que as crianças e adolescentes tenham seus direitos assegurados e protegidos de qualquer forma de violência deveria ser uma prioridade de todos os países. Neste sentido, Brasil vem fazendo vários esforços que envolvem a parceria entre o governo e a sociedade civil, nos níveis nacionais e municipais. Leia mais o discutir.
Ensuring that all children and adolescents have their basic rights met and are protected from any form of violence must be a priority in every country. In Brazil, a number of efforts have been taking place over the years and involve collaboration among government institutions and civil society, both at the national and city levels. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 02/03/2014 – 00:00
The urban data revolution is here. From Abidjan to Mumbai to New York, we are beginning to learn about real-time trends: in traffic, land use, even in illegal cooking oil dumping in cities. City data is almost in surplus, and mayors are bombarded with new information on goods and resources every day. Yet little of this data shows us how a city’s most important resource — its people — are living. Read more.
Submitted by UNICEF — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00
According to UNICEF, roughly 15 million children under the age of 14 were employed in Nigeria’s semi-formal and informal sectors in 2006. The most common forms of employment include street vendors, beggars, shoe shiners, mechanics, bus conductors, and domestic servants. This high incidence of child labor follows Nigeria’s high poverty rate: these children’s labour sometimes serves as the only source of income not only for themselves, but also for their families. Child labour has become an avenue for impoverished families in Lagos to provide basic needs for themselves, at the expense of the child. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Wura — Mon, 06/10/2013 – 00:00
In a small workshop down one of the thousands of twisty, narrow Dharavi lanes, six young men hunch over old-fashioned sewing machines. They are dressed minimally to ward off the May heat. No windows punctuate the cement walls, but a fan swirls noisily above. Their master embroidery skills are mesmerizing to watch. One sewer, now 22, tells us that he started the trade at age 10 when he came to Mumbai on his own. Still a child, he joined thousands of other children across the city in foregoing school for a meager income. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 06/10/2013 – 00:00 