Child protection
 |
|
© UNICEF/ETMR00056/Smithies |
|
Political instability increases children's vulnerabilities in Timor-Leste |
Across our region, disparities affect children, their families and communities in ways that threaten their lives, security and well-being. The multiple disparities are based on socio-economic status, age, gender, ethnicity and geographic factors (urban–rural). Consequently, many of our region’s children are subjected to violence, abuse, exploitation, discrimination and neglect – and are in need of better protection. In our region, the following child protection issues are priorities:
- Violence against children. Children can experience violence and abuse in homes, schools, institutions, detention centres, streets, communities and workplaces. But violence against children is often ignored.
- Justice for children. While the majority of children in conflict with the law committed petty crimes, children are being tried as adults and forced to share prison cells with adults in some of our region’s countries. This puts them at risk of physical and psychological problems.
- Child trafficking. An estimated third of the global trafficking in women and children occurs within or from South-East Asia. Women and children are trafficked primarily for forced labour, forced marriage, adoption and sexual exploitation.
- Commercial sexual exploitation of children. Local and foreign demand fuels the commercial sexual exploitation of children, with sex tourism only a small part of the problem. However, the Internet has the potential to promote sex tourism and child pornography globally. For a variety of reasons, young people leave home and either seek out or accept work in prostitution, many wanting to believe they will switch out of it as soon as they can.
UNICEF believes that all children have the right to survival, development, protection and participation. Every adult shares the responsibility of building an environment that safeguards children from violence, abuse, exploitation, discrimination and neglect and helps them reach their full potential.
UNICEF seeks to create, together with governments, a safe environment for our region’s children by raising awareness of child protection issues and advocating for changes in behaviour and attitudes towards all children. UNICEF aims to strengthen national legal, regulatory and social welfare systems. UNICEF also builds and enhances the capacity and skills of service providers and caregivers.
