Jordan to mark World Children’s Day with focus on rights, inclusion

AMMAN — Jordan on Sunday will mark World Children’s Day due to the importance of promoting and implementing children’s rights to advance childhood development and build a better future for children, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

World Children’s Day is annually marked as set by the UN on November 20, and the 2022 celebration comes under the theme: “Inclusion for Every Child”.

Secretary General of the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) Mohammad Miqdadi on Saturday said that the council, since its establishment, has adopted a “clear” vision related to childhood and early childhood issues, pointing out that the NCFA’s inception came as a follow-up to Early Childhood Development Strategy for 2000.

He noted that the NCFA sought to achieve the strategy’s objectives and implement its activities to ensure comprehensive care for children.

Miqdadi added that the government’s approval of the Child Rights Law No. (17) of 2022, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of NCFA’s establishment, is its “most significant” achievement, “as a constitution for child protection with its legal articles that preserve childhood rights, especially in light of their continued exposure to various forms of violence”.

According to the secretary general, results of a national study on violence against children in Jordan, which was prepared by the NCFA in cooperation with UNICEF in 2020, showed that 74.6 per cent of children in the 8-17 age group were exposed to at least one form of physical violence.

He noted that 58.3 per cent and 27.3 per cent of the same group, respectively, suffered from at least one form of psychological or sexual violence.

Miqdadi added that 13.2 per cent of the same age group were reportedly exposed to at least a single form of cyber bullying.

The secretary general noted that the council — as part of its concern in children’s issues, its endeavour to provide a safe environment for children and its belief in the work of women and their economic empowerment —has established 83 daycare nurseries in public and private institutions until 2021.