In 2016, among the 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children who arrived in Italy, 6000 disappeared off the radar of the Italian authorities. (Repubblica, 2016) These minors are mainly of Eritrean, Somalian and Egyptian origin, aged 10-16 years old. Unfortunately, Italy...
The under-education of girls in Cameroon
“Education must once again become one of the cornerstone values of our world, it must once again flourish, it must be instilled as a force of happiness, fulfilment and hope.” Nelson Mandela, 1996 In Africa, and specifically in the northern region of Cameroon,...
Harms of Ordinary Educational Violence in France
Ordinary educational violence, or OEV, includes all abusive behaviour of adults when in a dominant position against a child. It encompasses blows, spanking, slapping, punishments, and physical and psychological humiliations. It also includes broken promises,...
Child begging in Senegal: a breach of fundamental rights
Rooted in a firm faith, Senegalese Muslims accord a great deal of importance to their children’s Koranic education. While some parents send their children to Koranic schools (Daara) only during the school holidays, others opt for a full-time education at a boarding...
Child victims of chemical attacks in Aleppo
Non-compliance with human rights and international humanitarian law continues to worsen in Syria; after nearly six years of war, Syrian children are down to their last ounce of strength. They sleep in ruins, they are cold and starved, they have witnessed the...
In Bangladesh, children are exploited within prostitution and workshops
Bangladesh, the country exporting the most textiles after China, saw an increase of 88% in its Human Development Index over the last 30 years, and is set to join the Middle Income classification of countries by 2021 (Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, 2016). While the...
Joint NGO Statement Made at the Informal Meeting of the General Assembly “20 Years for Children Affected by Conflict”
8 February 2017, UNHQ, New York Endorsement: This statement is endorsed by the following human rights and humanitarian organizations: Caritas Internationalis, Child Rights Connect, Child Rights International Network (CRIN), Child Soldiers International, Defence for...
Child suicide in Japan: the leading cause of death in children
Japan has one of the highest suicide rates. A World Health Organization report shows it is actually 60 per cent higher than the global average (Lu, 2015). The country counts an average of 70 daily suicides and alarmingly children are also affected by this problem...
Forgotten children behind the bars of the “Maison d’arrêt et de correction d’Abidjan”
Children born prisoners: from conception to detention The “Maison d’arrêt et de correction d’Abidjan” (the “detention center of Abidjan”, called the “MACA”) is an overpopulated prison. It often accommodates more than 3,000 prisoners instead of the 1,500 allowed by the...
Child Marriage in the U.S. : An Unbelievable Reality
Ending child, early and forced marriage in one of the priorities of U.S. foreign policy, as set in the U.S. Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls of 2016 which strongly condemns this practice in the developing world as a human rights abuse. This is why it is...