1 February 2014 Children’s rights in the urban setting

Lack of child protection – a global problem 150 million girls and 73 million boys worldwide are raped or subject to other forms of sexual violence In at least 13 countries, children are being recruited into armed forces and groups More than half the children in detention have not been tried or sentenced More than 200 million children under the age of 5 do not have a birth certificate 1 in 3 girls is married before the age of 18 1 in 6 children under the age of 14 are working 3 out of 4 children experience violent discipline at home Children affected by violence in the home more often run away from home, and are at greater risk of sexual abuse, exploitation and harmful child labour. 2

Children without appropriate care Children on the move Violence against children Children and harmful work 3 Impact of urbanisation Key child protection concerns for children in urban settings:

Children´s Voices from Africa* 4 “ Most boys in the community drink alcohol and use addictive drugs like chat and when these boys run out of money to buy the drugs, they steal small items from their home to sell in the market.” boy “ Children can just be grabbed and kidnapped while playing soccer” boy * From Save the Children´s report; ”Voices from urban Africa, The impact of urban growth on children I don´t feel safe to walk to school because of violence in this area, especially from people who are drunk. I also fear to be beaten by the teacher when I am at school.” boy

Children´s Voices from Africa* 5 The exposure begins when those evil-minded bachelors who rent part of our family´s home begin intruding and try to attract us with gifts.” girl “Children living with relatives or caretakers and unaccompanied children, are subject to abuse” girls and boys “Children living with relatives or caretakers and unaccompanied children, are subject to abuse” girls and boys * From Save the Children´s report; ”Voices from urban Africa, The impact of urban growth on children At that park they kill children.” girl

Children´s priorities in the post 2015* The forms of violence that girls and boys want to end include: Physical and humiliating punishment in homes, schools, care institutions and other settings Sexual violence and abuse Harmful child labour Early marriage, trafficking and other harmful practices 6 * From consultations with over children, 8-17 years old from 70 countries in all regions of the world. These were organised by SC and other child focused agencies between year 2012 and “Violence against children should be strictly condemned because a violence-free childhood is the right of every child.” Girl, 16, Uganda “Violence against children should be strictly condemned because a violence-free childhood is the right of every child.” Girl, 16, Uganda

Recommendations based on childrens’ and adults’ voices* Provide safe spaces for children to play. Enhance the capacity of all those who work with and for children to prevent child sexual abuse and other forms of abuse. Promote a national and community based child protection system to provide a comprehensive, sustainable and coordinated solutions to protect all children. 7 * From Save the Children´s report; ”Voices from urban Africa, The impact of urban growth on children. 2012

Voices of youth (Accra, Bangalore, Cairo, San Paolo)* Quality of life, jobs, education, housing and transport. Policy makers must take into account the specific circumstances of each city and adjust their intervention strategies accordingly Improvement at the individual level (such as access to education) must be accompanied by improvement at the city level (corruption, accountabillity, etc). Opportunties to participate meaningfully for determining the direction of urban development considered necessary. 8 * State of Urban Youth Report , Youth in the prosperity of cities. UN Habitat

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10 January 2014 Group discussions

Urban slums become a haven for youth gangs, the arms, drug and sex trade - criminal gangs sometimes takes over the role of the government. Violence becomes an “accepted form to solve conflicts” - the average age for boys to join gangs is 13 years old. 11 Save the Children´s urban child protection programs Key issues Violence ? …break the cycle of violence by working with children, families and the community? … strengthen partnership with boys and men to promote “alternative forms of masculinity” and caring fathers? … link up with conflict & security and the youth agenda?

What is the situation of Children without appropriate care: street-connected children, children residing with employers, migrant children and child-headed households? How does disparities and discrimination between individuals make them more vulnerable to violence? –gender, HIV status, sexuality, ethnicity, caste, disability or any other social status, such as “migration status” How do we ensure that our programs have a strong equity and non-discrimination focus? 12 Save the Children´s urban child protection programs Key issues Inequity ?

Which are the child protection issues that becomes more prominent due to crowded homes in urban slums? How can we promote a safe and healthy “family based” or “family like” environment? What is the most effective way to reach and provide relevant support to parents/care givers? 13 Save the Children´s urban child protection programs Key issues Density ?

How can we promote a decentralised child protection system as part of government plans for urban and sustainable development? 14 Save the Children´s urban child protection programs Key issues Governance ? Local government structures are often lacking the political power, decision making capacity, and access to revenues to carry out their functions. Traditional hierarchies/values may clash with new municipal arrangements.

The cash economy becomes more important in urban settings. Children’s access to and demand for material goods. This affects: the family economy children at risk of harmful child work, sexual exploitation and for getting involved in criminal activities. How can we promote economic strengthening as an integral part of child protection programs and vise versa? 15 Save the Children´s urban child protection programs Key issues Cash economy ? increasing

The use of smart phones in developing countries Children’s access to the Internet in urban areas Sexual abuse, bullying and exploitation facilitated 16 Save the Children´s urban child protection programs Key issues New technologies Effective way of addressing child protection concerns through new technologies? How can we empower children and promote safe use and safe migration? How can we partner with the private sector? ? increasing

Childrens’ recommendations in post 2015* Support families so that all children can live in and be cared for by families, including children with disabilities. Strengthen legislation, monitoring and reporting to respond to all forms of violence against children. Raise awareness to prevent all forms of violence against children. Provide child protection services. Ensure all children access safe schools Address discrimination Prevent conflict and support peace building Ensure all boys and girls have opportunities to rest and to play. Ensure childrens’ participation in decision making, access to information, and support for child led organisations and action initiatives. 17 * From consultations with over children, 8-17 years old from 70 countries in all regions of the world. These were organised by SC and other child focused agencies between year 2012 and 2013.

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