Let children be children

The EU Delegation in Geneva is a proud partner of the annual Young Activist Summit, which took place this year on 16 November at the UN in Geneva. This year one of the five laureates was 14 year old environmental activist Francisco Vera, who is also a champion of the EU youth campaign #OurVoiceOurFuture.

The European Union is resolute in its commitment to fostering a world where gender stereotypes hold no sway, allowing girls to not only exist but also thrive. Unfortunately, such an ideal remains a distant reality for many girls across the globe, who often face a dual challenge of discrimination stemming from both their age and gender.

Every year on June 12th, we observe World Day Against Child Labour to promote awareness that child labour robs dozens of millions of kids of their childhood and to generate more action to put an end to child labour once and for all.

As a child Priscilla survived female genital mutilation (FGM). As she grew older Priscilla practiced FGM. Eventually Priscilla learnt about the consequences of FGM. Now she is an advocate working to eliminate the practice in her community. Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights. In 2023 alone, there are 4.32 million girls around the world who are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation. This practice has roots in thousands of years of gender inequality across the globe, from Africa to Arab countries, Asia, Latin America and also Europe...

In today’s world, children are still at risk worldwide. Poverty, hunger, limitation on access to education and forced labour are some of the biggest challenges affecting those who are most vulnerable. The COVID-19 pandemic has further intensified differences in accessing resources and this year we have seen the impact of a new war conflict. On World Children’s Day, the EU reinforces its commitment to combating for a fairer world for children, an inclusive world where no child is left behind.

Girls are at the forefront of leading their generation in accelerating social change. Today we celebrate the International Day of the Girl (IDG). The marking of this day in 2022 is special, not only because this is the European Year of Youth, but also, because this year is the tenth anniversary of the International Girls Day.

Global progress to end child labour has stalled for the first time in 20 years. One in ten children in the world are victims of child labour, and the number is growing. Social protection is key to providing an environment to keep children away from this reality and the EU continues working with its international partners to this end.

The EU plays a leading role in supporting children globally, by strengthening access to quality, safe and inclusive education, basic services, health, humanitarian aid and in protecting them in violent conflict.