June 1, 1925 was declared the International Children’s Day in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Conference for the Well-being of Children. After the conference, various governments around the world decided to declare a day as Children’s Day to draw attention to children’s issues. Many countries chose June 1, which is why, International Children’s Day is on June 1.
International Children’s Day 2019
In 2019, International Children’s Day was celebrated on Saturday, 1 June. The day was celebrated with speeches, awareness campaigns and various other programs related to the welfare of children.
Some countries celebrate International Children’s Day as a public holiday while some celebrate it as a full-day holiday for schools.
As an example, in the Republic of China the day was a full-day holiday in all schools and a series of recreational activities for children – camp trips, stage performances and free movies to have fun.
The Chinese government also gives gifts to 14-year-olds of government officials. Even civil servants are given half-day off to spend more time with their children.
International Children’s Day – History
The holiday’s origins date back to 1925 when representatives from various countries met at the World Conference for the Welfare of Children in Geneva, Switzerland. As a result of the conference, many countries began observing Children’s Day to bring up issues related to children. However, no specific date was set and countries follow it on appropriate dates according to their culture.
The date of International Children’s Day was established by the Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF) during the Congress in November 1949 in Moscow on 1 June. WIDF is an international organization established in 1945 and working for women’s rights.
International Children’s Day Requirement
International Children’s Day is established to protect children’s rights worldwide and to take initiative for their welfare and development.
Despite global progress in the protection of child rights and overall development, children’s education, much remains to be done. Millions of children live in poverty and other challenging circumstances, even in developed nations as in the United States. Children in war-torn regions or conflict zones, live deprived lives with scarce food, almost no health facilities, no education and are often subject to physical abuse, bullying and harassment.
In addition, global estimates suggest that approximately 16000 children die before attaining the age of five, mostly due to preventable causes such as malnutrition, low health awareness, inappropriate maternal care and absence of adequate health facilities .
One in six children is not going to school and is missing important learning required for future and development. Also 1 in 80 children are forced to struggle to save their lives, which puts them at high risk.
Data provided by UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) show that every year around 1000 children die in Syria due to war and a good number are recruited to participate in hostile war activities. is.
Society needs to make its children healthy, happy, educated and progressive. This is indeed a fundamental condition for any nation to be progressive. Therefore, the celebration of International Children’s Day is necessary to protect the rights and privileges of children around the world.
How is International Children’s Day celebrated?
Series of events are organized around the world to raise awareness of children’s issues and ways to address them.
Programs such as talk shows, speeches, discussions are held in which important issues related to children are discussed. Many recreational programs are also held in schools and colleges in which children participate happily. Events include stage performances, picnic tours etc.
Communities, non-governmental organizations, parents and other related organizations come forward to discuss children’s problems and their possible solutions.
Importance of International Children’s Day
Children in the family need care, love, protection and support. It is difficult to imagine a happy family without a happy child. There are millions of children in the world who are facing issues like poverty, hunger, malnutrition, violence etc.
International Children’s Day provides a forum for parents, civil society, teachers and other well-wishers to come together and discuss the problems faced by children and what measures should be taken to deal with them.
The day gives us the opportunity to advocate and promote children’s rights, which transforms them into dialogue and action. This in turn will create a better world for children and provide them with adequate development opportunities.