Child protection
Children have the right to be kept safe from harm
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The challenge
All boys and girls have the right to be protected from violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect.
The right of children to protection from serious harm is enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Myanmar is a signatory, and the Myanmar Child Rights Law enacted in 2019.
Children caught in crisis
Children in Myanmar have been killed, seriously injured, arbitrarily detained without access to legal counsel and forced to flee their homes and communities during the current crisis, which followed the military takeover on 1 February 2021.
Keeping children safe from abuse
Keeping children safe from violence, abuse and exploitation in Myanmar was already a major challenge before the current crisis.
- In 2020, 56 children were killed and 160 maimed – in many cases the result of coming into contact with landmines and unexploded ordnance.
- Prior to the military takeover on 1 February, the United Nations had identified more than 1 million people in need of humanitarian support. These included 455,000 children, mainly in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states. Now the number has increased to 3 million people.
- Most of these children live in situations where child protection systems are weak and monitoring the situation of children is challenging.
Protecting children made vulnerable by poverty
Globally, research shows that children may suffer serious harm at home, in their families, in schools, care and justice systems, workplaces and communities. Violence, abuse and neglect can happen in all societies.
However, children who are poor and marginalized often struggle more to access the services that would protect them or provide remedies.
- Around half of all Myanmar’s children aged 5–15 live in poor households.
- Almost 1.2 million children aged 5–17 are working, often in hazardous conditions.
- Around 250,000 children live in childcare institutions including children who are under the care of monastic institutions.
Many children are also on the move, accompanying family members who are migrants or moving from their communities to find employment or education. Almost one-fifth of Myanmar’s population are lifetime migrants. The children who live and move with them often become more vulnerable, sometimes even falling victim to trafficking, forced marriage or commercial sexual exploitation.
The long-standing vulnerabilities of many children in Myanmar have been grievously exacerbated by COVID-19 and the current crisis. As a result, too many children are unsafe.
The difficulties of getting help to the children most in need and the increased risks faced by humanitarian personnel are hampering efforts to deliver critical child protection services.
The solution
Accessing help
Responding to the rapidly evolving humanitarian situation, UNICEF is adapting the way it works in Myanmar. We draw upon our extensive experience and network of partners in the country to ensure that those in need can access critical, quality child protection services, at scale.
- We aim to reach one million children and adults nationwide with child protection information and services with special focus on Kachin, Kayin, Shan, Chin, and northern and central Rakhine States, and Yangon and Mandalay Regions.
Legal aid
We are working to help children and young people in conflict with the law obtain quality legal aid, advice, consultation and representation.
- Between February and June 2021, UNICEF and its partners provided legal services to more than 700 children and young people; the majority had been charged under Penal Code Section 505 (A) for participating in demonstrations.
- Among these, at least eight children and 16 young people were facing trial in military courts in townships under martial law.
- Through a strengthened case management system, around 20 per cent of children supported by legal aid providers were also given specialized case management support, including medical treatment, health care, mental health and psychosocial services, and family reunification assistance.
- A nationwide justice hotline gives children and young people timely access to quality legal advice; alongside this, information distributed in six ethnic languages is helping young people to better understand their rights are and how they can access legal assistance.
Psycho-social help
UNICEF provides support to many children in need of psychological assistance in Myanmar.
This includes case management services and referral for survivors of abuse and violence to mental health experts for individual counselling sessions.
Peer-support groups for adolescents and young people that focus on coping with acute stress have been piloted and will be scaled up.
In May 2021, UNICEF delivered mental health and psychosocial support to more than 19,200 children and more than 4,200 parents.
- A national mental health and psychosocial advice helpline supports children in several ethnic languages. Since February 2021, the helpline has received an increasing volume of calls, 174 in total, mostly from young people experiencing severe emotional distress. Of those seeking support, 134 went on to receive specialized counselling.
- More than 2,900 children have received child protection support between January and June 2021.
Maintaining and extending child protection
UNICEF is supporting partners to maintain existing services while working to urgently extend child protection service provision to new humanitarian locations such as southeast Myanmar and Chin State.
This work includes the distribution of child protection kits, awareness-raising and case management services, building on and adapting our long experience of supporting child protection in Myanmar.
In 2020, more than 18,300 girls, boys and women received UNICEF-supported gender-based violence services, including awareness-raising and survivor assistance. A total of 63,450 conflict-affected children received child protection services and supplies in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States.
During this time of critical need, UNICEF and partners are redoubling efforts to ensure the delivery, at scale, of services that keep children protected.
Children are the future of Myanmar. They must be kept safe, and their rights safeguarded.
