The Fight for Children’s Rights in 2024

Guest blog by our President and CEO, Danny Glenwright. 

“I want a country where children can grow up without fear.” 

That is what Sharmake, who is 14 and lives in Somalia, says of his hopes for his country; which has been undergoing a civil war for many years. 

The reality of Sharmake’s life – one shaped by the violence and instability of conflict – is the same reality shared by millions of children around the world right now. In fact, Save the Children’s most recent Stop the War on Children report found that 19 percent of all children were living in conflict zones at the end of 2023. 

It’s also a reality that I’ve seen firsthand through my work – both as a journalist and in the non-profit sector – having travelled to more than 80 countries, including Somalia, the occupied Palestinian territories, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone, and Rwanda. 

I’ve seen how conflict can harm every part of a child’s life – and how it doesn’t just end in childhood either. Loss of education, witnessing the death of family members, being forced into use as soldiers or sex workers – these all create scars which children carry into adulthood, perpetuating cycles of trauma, under-education, and poverty. 

In 1923, after seeing the same kinds of harm caused by conflict across Europe during World War I, Save the Children’s founder Eglantyne Jebb drafted the first version of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. In it, she stated that all children need to be protected, fed, housed, and kept safe from exploitation. 

This initial iteration of the document represents one of the first instances of the international community considering children’s rights. World Children’s Day, which falls annually on November 20, is typically a celebration – to recognize the adoption of both the Declaration and the later Convention on the Rights of the Child (which expands Jebb’s original ideas across 42 separate articles) by the United Nations. 

For many years before the UN adopted the Convention, and in the 35 years since, children have led the charge for their rights. Iqbal Masih, Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, Audrey Faye Hendricks, David Hogg, and Shannen Koostachin are just some of the names that come to mind when I think of children and youth who have championed their rights over the years. 

Unfortunately, we have seen investments in conflict prevention declining in recent years while the number of conflicts has grown. Ongoing conflict in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Somalia, Myanmar, DRC, and other countries – many of which remain under-funded and neglected by the international community – have resulted in horrific escalations in attacks against children. 

In fact, last year, verified grave violations – which is an action that causes significant harm to the well-being of children living in conflict situations – totalled 31,721 cases (or 86 cases every day 1); a 15 percent increase from 2022. With grave violations in conflict generally underreported, this figure is likely considerably higher. 

Bringing an end to conflict is the first step in protecting children against grave violations and ensuring we uphold their rights. But that can’t be the end of our work to support children and their rights. 

Returning to Sharmake, I think he put it best when he said:

“Peace isn’t just about stopping the fighting. It’s about creating a place where people can live without fear, where children can play and learn, and where families can stay together.”

As we approach the end of 2024, my hope for next year is that we see a drastic reduction in grave violations against children, and an increase in access to humanitarian support for children and communities. 

Most importantly, I want to see leaders worldwide fulfill their commitments to upholding peace. Without peace, we can’t begin the critical work of building the essential foundations for childhood: regular schooling, consistent access to nutritious food, and protection from harm. 

As Sharmake says, “It’s not enough to just hope for peace, we need to build it.” 

To learn more about the realities faced by children living in conflict, and to hear from more children like Sharmake on their experiences and hopes for the future, please consider reading Save the Children’s Stop the War on Children 2024: Pathways to Peace report now >> 

Read Danny’s thoughts on 2024, with his year end reflection, here>>