Child rights

Children, like adults, have human rights. Children also have the right to special protection. Children’s rights are things that every child should have or be able to do – like being safe, having a name and getting an education.

Child Safe Organisations

In Australia in 2011-12, 1 in 3 people who accessed homelessness services were 18 and under. source

The main international agreement on children’s rights is the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). source

260 million children were still out of school in 2018. source

Globally, an estimated 800 million children live in fragile and conflict-affected areas. source

Every year, almost 5.2 million children die before their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes. source

300,000 child soldiers worldwide. 1 in 10 soldiers is a child. source

Girls Gotta Know and Guys Gotta Know provide legal information for young Tasmanians. 

Lawstuff has information about the rights of Australian youth – privacy, child abuse, marriage and discrimination are just a few of the subjects covered.

UNICEF Australia has information about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UNICEF international has lots of ideas on how children can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals agreed on by world leaders.

Voices of Youth gives young people say about child rights.

Child Rights International Network raises awareness of current child rights’ issues, including research and monitoring. 

Check out our YouTube playlist for some short videos on Child rights.

Download the map Respect of Children’s Rights Worldwide. 

What It’s Like To Be Adopted is an 8 minute video where young people share their experiences in their own words.

Brain Pickings is a series of photographs on where children sleep.

What are Child Rights? is a short video for younger students. 

Child Labour is a 3 minute video by the International Labour Organization.

Tackling Child Labour in Agriculture is a 9½ minute video by the International Labour Organization.

I Promise Africa: while making a documentary about orphans, a filmmaker preserves the voices of a generation that will soon be silenced (2½ min video).

Harvest – the story of the children who feed America: view the trailer (2:15 mins).

Hans Rosling explains the relationship between development and immunisation (21:21 mins).

View some top child rights cartoons.

Visual stunt: Tasmanian VGenners in action (2 mins). 

Class of 2015: girl’s education in Nigeria (4 mins).

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: downloadable poster.

Choose from an extensive range of videos about child labour at ILO TV.

World Day Against Child Labour, June 12

World Children’s Day, November 20

Children’s Week Australia, October

Bravehearts Day, August 30 – protecting kids from child sexual assault 

Human Rights Day, 10th December

Global Citizen has 7 ways to take action on World Children’s Day.

Global Campaign for Education: Education is a basic human right. 

International Labour Organization: SCREAM! (Supporting Children’s Rights through Education Across the Media). Raise awareness about child labour using your favourite medium.

UNICEF Australia: Get informed and download the PowerPoint to present to your class.

Child Rights International Network has campaign resources for young people.

WE Movement: Too expensive to adopt a village? Buy a gift, learn about the inspirational work of Craig Kielburger, and educate yourself and others. 

Other learning resources

A Fairer World has posters, classroom activities, books, DVDs and web links on global issues such as child rights. Contact us for a complete list of resources available free or on loan to members.

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