One in four children worldwide are being robbed of their childhoods due to a variety of events according to a new Save the Children report “End of Childhood – Stolen Childhoods,” launched today on International Children’s Day.
The report is accompanied by the launch of a confronting and straight shooting viral video campaign featuring the two young girls mentioned above.
Stolen Childhoods includes an index of 172 countries ranking the best and worst places in the world for children to have a safe, secure and healthy childhood based on eight defining life events that signal the end of childhood. These events include: loss of life, malnutrition permanently impairing development, leaving or never going to school, children entering the workforce, child marriage, children having children, and being a victim of violence. “New Zealand ranks 28 out of 172 countries where childhood is least threatened” Save the Children’s recently appointed CEO – Heidi Coetzee, says from Wellington. “We rank as one of
the safer places in the world where childhood is least threatened. Because of factors that New Zealanders are aware off such as adolescents having children, and infant mortality, there is room for improvement which we believe the government is invested in doing.” Heidi Coetzee
adds.
At the opposite end of the ranking to New Zealand, are places like Nepal and Bangladesh with a shared ranking of 134. In Nepal it is reported that around 37% of children between 5 and 14 years of age are exposed to child labour. In Bangladesh one in twelve adolescents are already
parents and almost one third of school aged children don’t go to school. “This is why we work in these places – to give children the best possible start to life” says Heidi Coetzee.
You can do something to help children in need. You can support children through donating at www.savethechildren.org.nz, by following us on Facebook and by sharing the report and viral videos found at www.endofchildhood.com.