Both these declarations clearly define the rights of children, irrespective of their gender, country, socio-economic position or culture. These rights include, among many others, the right to proper food, clothing, shelter, education and upbringing.
Unfortunately, the reality is a stark contrast from all those conventions and declarations. Children all over the world are the victim of various issues. Children from South Asia are no different. Some of these issues include:
Malnutrition
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN estimates that the following countries have five million or more under-nourished people:
India
China
Bangladesh
Democratic Republic of Congo
Pakistan
As can be gauged from the above, four of the five top countries hail from the South Asian region, which says a lot about the kind of malnutrition that is generally prevalent. More statistics indicate that it is South Asia which has the greatest rate of child malnutrition. About 5.6 million children die every year in India alone; half of the children are underweight.
Child abuse
Constituting physical and emotional abuse, children from South Asia suffer from violence, child trafficking and discrimination.
Illiteracy and child labor
Many children do not have the luxury of acquiring formal education. They neither go to school nor are tutored privately. Others are forced to leave their education and prematurely join the workforce. The number of such children exceeds 150 million in Asia alone. Industries where they are forced to work include textiles, mining, leather, and toy-manufacturing. Most have to work in the farms and construction sites as well.
Child marriages
Marriage of a girl-child to an adult or the arranged marriage of two children comprises cultural practices of many countries all over the world. Interestingly, it is again South Asia which takes the cake in terms of figures, as it has the highest incidence of child marriages all over the world. Laws have been enacted in certain countries to curb this practice, however, it still continues unabated, especially in the rural areas.
Yes, the above does paint a very bleak picture. One might wonder, what really is the silver lining in all of this? The fact is that even though the situation is rather alarming, there are individuals and organizations, which have dedicated their life and work towards the welfare of children.
Organizations here in Pakistan include The Citizens Foundation and Society for the Promotion for Educational Welfare, which aim towards eliminating child illiteracy and providing formal education to the children. Similarly, many non-government bodies are working towards eradication of child abuse.
Internationally, particularly in the South Asian region, South Asian Initiative to End Violence Against Children is an inter-governmental body working for the alleviation of child abuse. With the head office based in Nepal, their vision is a region where “all children, girls and boys, throughout South Asia enjoy their right to an environment free from all forms of violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect and discrimination.” Their working groups deal with early marriage, corporal punishment, sexual abuse, trafficking and child labor.
Yes, one may argue that these are not enough organizations. Also, their work might not seem very significant. However, they are at least trying, and they must be commended for that. The situation does require urgent attention, and it is up to these philanthropic and conscious individuals and organizations to stand the test of time and come up with workable and practical solutions to deal with the issues that confront the children of this world today.