Child Rights

Four major child-focused agencies launched the Joining Forces Somalia Chapter on 11 February 2026, uniting efforts to strengthen child protection laws, end violence against children, and amplify children's voices in policy decisions. Save the Children Somalia chairs the alliance, which will advocate for passage of key child rights legislation and conduct national research on the situation of Somalia's children.

In collaboration with National Human Rights Commission (NCHR), we reaffirm children's rights to dignity, protection, and opportunity in Mozambique. Save the Children and NCHR co-hosted the 4th Regional Conference of National Human Rights Institutions in Southern Africa, addressing priorities like ending early and forced unions, strengthening child protection systems, and safeguarding children in humanitarian and climate crises, while highlighting challenges in weak law implementation and limited child participation.

Reactive Statement on Approval of Somalia’s National Independent Human Rights Commission

Between January and July 2025, Save the Children Zimbabwe and its partners supported communities to withstand drought, protect livelihoods, and safeguard children’s rights. Farmers in Matobo were equipped with drought-tolerant seeds, animal feed, and improved water systems, helping families recover and sustain their livelihoods. In Bulilima, mothers and children received nutrition support alongside strengthened community health groups, ensuring healthy growth and maternal wellbeing. Across the country, children are gaining new opportunities to read and learn through the distribution of literacy materials, teacher support, and digital learning tools. Communities also became better prepared to prevent cholera outbreaks through mobile awareness campaigns, while child protection structures were strengthened to fight child labour and trafficking. Children themselves played an active role in shaping national conversations on planning and budgeting. These efforts demonstrate Save the Children’s commitment to resilient communities, and a future where every child survives, learns, and is protected. Read our Impact Bulletin here: Save the Children Zimbabwe Impact Bulletin (January-July 2025) - Save the Children’s Resource Centre

To commemorate Day of the African Child, Gamu, a 16-year-old advocate, joined her peers in a creative advocacy event and digital campaign centred on this year’s theme: Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress since 2010. The campaign supported by Save the Children was about amplifying their voices and placing them at the centre of decision-making.

Today, every child has rights, but these are being eroded by the consistent threats of conflict, climate change and inequality. It could be so easy to feel overwhelmed by this heartbreaking reality, but switching off is not the answer.

Social workers play a crucial role in child protection, often overlooked by the public. This blog emphasizes the positive impact of social workers who support families and advocate for children's welfare globally and calls for investment in preventative and responsive child protection services to ensure every child thrives ahead of the Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children.

One-third of the total global child population—or 766 million children—were exposed to extreme heatwaves in the year between July 2023 and June 2024

Extreme weather events forced at least 38,000 people from their homes in Afghanistan in the first six month of this year