World Children's Day

World Children's Day is celebrated in several countries, however the date of celebration is different from country to country. In Portugal, the June 1st.

This day came after World War II, in 1945, in a world punished in social and humanitarian terms. Many countries in Europe, the Middle East, as well as China, have entered into serious economic crises. As the families were very poor, the children did not attend school and were put to work in arduous conditions for many hours.

In 1946, the United Nations (UN) began to take initiatives to defend children, thus creating the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Its objective was to promote the defense of children's rights, help meet their needs and contribute to their development and well-being.

In 1950, it was proposed to the United Nations by the International Democratic Federation of Women that a day dedicated exclusively to children be created. This day was celebrated for the first time on June 1 of that same year, thus giving rise to the celebration of World Children's Day.

It's a day that should be fun for children, but for adults it should be a day of reflection on the rights of the little ones, which are still not respected, even in developed countries. Every day, there are children who go hungry, who are physically and verbally abused, who are abandoned and who do not have a family to take care of them.

Between 2013 and 2015, the Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) registered a total of 3051 support processes for children and young people victims of crime and violence, which resulted in a total of 5360 criminal facts. It was found that most aggressors are the parents themselves, with most cases of domestic violence.

The Universal Declaration of Children's Rights tells us that:

All children have the right to life and liberty;
All children must be protected from domestic violence;
All children are equal and have the same rights, regardless of their color, sex, religion, social origin or nationality;
All children must be protected by the family and society;
All children have the right to a name and nationality;
All children have the right to food and medical care;
Children with special physical or mental difficulties have the right to special education and care;
All children have the right to love and understanding from parents and society;
All children have the right to education;
All children have the right not to be verbally abused or abused by society;