April 23 marks National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, which was gifted to children by Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who believed that the future relies on the hope of younger generations. Our interview with UNICEF Turkey Representative on this special day for children offers eye-opening information for the well-being of children in the future.

Talking to Daily Sabah, UNICEF Representative to Turkey Regina De Dominicis called on all to work for peace for every child.

"I wish for peace for every child, as today, more children than at any time in UNICEF’s 75-year history live in conflict zones – 426 million children globally. Nowadays, we are all struck by the fast displacement of more than 4 million children from Ukraine, many in need of protection. We all need to work for peace for every child."

UNICEF Interventions in Turkey and the issues of child labor and early marriage

"For more than 70 years, UNICEF has been operating in Turkey and we have witnessed remarkable progress, especially in the area of maternal and child health. Still, gaps and inequalities remain and UNICEF continues to support systemic reforms in education, social and child protection and justice, through the provision of technical assistance to improve access and quality of services as well as ‘modeling’ of service delivery at both central and local level, especially for the most vulnerable children and young people.

Children living in poverty, children with disabilities, those who get married as children, those who are involved in child labor, children refugees, those without parental care and those in contact with the law are some of the most vulnerable categories.

When it comes to child marriage, we know that 1 in 7 (15%) Turkish women and almost half of the Syrian refugee women living in Turkey were married as children. Let’s be clear: child marriage is a human rights violation. We support the outreach of girls at risk, referral, girls’ education equal access to opportunities but also parenting programs and programs aiming at changing social behaviors in this respect.

As for child labor, the Turkish government has invested significant efforts to fight against it in the last three decades. There has been progress, but there are still 720,000 Turkish children aged 5-17 working as child laborers in the service, agriculture and industrial manufacturing sectors, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). The situation must have been deteriorating due to the pandemic and the economic situation as poverty has risen and so has the pressure on children to work and contribute to the family income. We saw this trend in other countries where child labor and to certain extent child marriage have been perceived as mitigating measures by poor households. On this complex issue, we work together with the national and local authorities, labor inspectors, private and civil sector, but also with families throughout the country, prevention – not only enforcement – is our focus. UNICEF will continue supporting these efforts to ensure that every child in Turkey is protected from performing any work that is likely to be harmful to the child's development."

Effects of COVID-19 on children

"The pandemic has affected children negatively on many fronts. It has kept millions of children out of schools around the world. As a result, there is a significant learning loss, but also a negative impact on children’s development due to the lack of opportunities to engage with peers in sports, culture, play and other activities. In many countries, the most vulnerable children, especially girls, due to the digital divide could not benefit from the online learning opportunities and many have not returned to their desks when schools reopened. Mental health has been an issue for many, especially adolescents. They have been concerned about the health of their family members, their friends, as well as about the loss of opportunities and the fear of rising poverty. It is estimated that 100 million more children have been plunged into poverty due to the pandemic. Increasing poverty could push an additional 9 million children into child labor by the end of this year. Some have been victims of increased family violence and new worrisome forms of cybercrimes, while spending most of the time online. On a positive note, many have also discovered and learned new things, bonded more with parents and siblings, re-thought their habits to protect the planet, volunteered online and helped their communities and peers.

Recovery plans should focus on accelerating investment on the youngest to ensure they 'regain' opportunities and contribute to build stronger and more resilient societies."

Climate change is a child rights crisis and what is required to raise awareness

"2020 was the hottest year on record. In many parts of the world, children are facing multiple climate-related impacts such as severe drought and flooding, air pollution and water scarcity, malnutrition and disease. Almost every child on the planet is exposed to at least one of these climate and environmental hazards. One in four deaths in children under five is attributable to unhealthy environments. Around 1 billion children – nearly half the world’s children – live in countries classified as at extremely high-risk to the impacts of climate change. These hazards will grow in severity as the impacts of climate change accelerate. Children are the least responsible for climate change and yet most adversely affected by its impact.

Raising awareness on climate change starting from early years and in schools is very effective. Environmental protection and the promotion of sustainable behaviors should be part of the curricula. It is equally important to develop 'green' skills to accompany the transformation of our economies from gray to green. Awareness is also built through out-of-school activities and by leveraging the tools and means that children and young people use or by promoting climate action where they are, including in their digital world. In this area, many of them lead and promote youth climate action, sustainable behaviors and ecological citizenship amongst their peers. The new generations look also more carefully at business practices and choices, they 'judge' companies on what they stand for and consume accordingly.

So, to raise generations of citizens aware of their environmental rights and responsibilities, we need to work all together, including with children and young people themselves. They are powerful change agents."

21st century challenges

"Apart from what I mentioned before, the impact of the digital revolution on children, whom we now need to support to grow up into digital citizens of the world, is an important challenge. More than 1 in 3 children globally are regular internet users, but have we provided them with digital competencies to protect their privacy, keep them safe and accurately informed in the digital world and have them benefit from digital tools as much as possible? What about children who still do not have access to the internet, new technologies and opportunities to develop digital skills – are we providing them with such opportunities through mainstream education? The 21st century labor market is changing quickly. Are we making sure that education systems are also adapting to the new, digital world and providing every child with the skills needed in the future job markets? These are some of the key questions we are trying to provide answers to together with our partners."

UNICEF support to children affected by the war in Ukraine

"Since the war started, UNICEF has partnered with national and local authorities, EU, IOM and UNHCR to support Ukraine and the countries receiving Ukrainian refugees – Poland, Moldova, Romania, Belarus, Hungary, Slovakia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. We have provided children and families with emergency supplies containing blankets, winter clothes for children, hygiene kits, emergency cash assistance, as well as with health, child protection and education services, including psycho-social support. Together with UNHCR and local authorities, we have been establishing 'Blue Dots' – safe places for families to receive services at key border locations in Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. At the Blue Dot hubs, every child is registered to protect him/her from violence and child trafficking. Also, Blue Dots provide families with food, hygiene supplies, legal counseling, psychosocial support, preschool education for children, health check-ups, referral to the local medical care including immunization and all information needed on various issues. UNICEF will continue supporting these efforts and calling for an immediate cease-fire, as all children have the right to grow up in peace."

Dreams of refugee children in Turkey

"Let me quote 15-year-old Mohamed, whom I met recently. The oldest of three siblings, he has a passion for mathematics. Mohamed enrolled in school after arriving in Gaziantep from Syria. His education was interrupted for two years due to health challenges. He is now recovering, and thanks to the specialized learning support programs, he can continue his education. I admire his resilience. When I asked him what he wants to be when he grows up, he said – an accountant, because he is good at maths and so, he can get a job and improve the life of his family.

I heard many stories like Mohamed’s from children-refugees who have faced extreme challenges, but who have not given up on their dreams. They want to grow up into doctors to heal the sick, injured and traumatized children; engineers to rebuild their country; teachers to make all children grow up into adults who will always preserve peace. Many look forward to going back to their homeland; some want to stay in Turkey as growing up in this country has made them feel safe and they called it home; and some want to travel further and explore the world while looking for the best place to be their home. Let’s continue to support them so that their dreams can become true."