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Experts say climate change is a driver of violence against children
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Published:
April 7, 2022 at 14:37:11
Experts discussed Wednesday’s topic and called climate change a driver for violence against children. This includes child marriage and child labor.
UNICEF and World Vision hosted the event, which was described as Visionaries speakers. The platform is a new platform for inspiring talks to spark ideas, bold thinking, and creative solutions.
Experts spoke out to discuss the links between climate change, violence against children, and other issues. They also explored ways to protect children’s well-being and safety – and to ensure that young people’s voices are heard – in the response to climate change.
UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index, which looks at how exposed children are to climate and environmental shocks, ranks Bangladesh 15 out of 163 countries.
Children in Bangladesh are not responsible to climate change, but they are paying the highest price.
One in three children in Bangladesh, nearly 20 million children in total, are victims of extreme weather, floods, river erosion, sea level rise and other environmental shocks driven by climate change.
Many of these children end their lives in slums and are left with no future. Millions are caught in child slavery, child marriage, or trafficking.
“Children are at the frontlines of the climate crisis. The most vulnerable are forced into overcrowded city slums where they often take on hazardous work to survive and are at greater risk for child marriage or sex work,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh.
“Children and adolescents are crucial agents of change in the global fight against climate change, and at World Vision, we believe that involving them in solutions will generate positive results”, Sheldon said.
“We also believe that greater collaborations across diverse stakeholders are required to generate solutions for climate issues that can have lasting results,” said Suresh Bartlett, National Director of World Vision Bangladesh.
“Environmental degradation is a driver of gender-based violence. Resource scarcity, conflict, and displacement from environmental degradation and climate changes can impact hard-won developmental gains and place vulnerable groups such as children and women in a more disadvantageous position. Ending gender-based violence and securing environmental sustainability will help us achieve the interlinked global goals,” said Raquibul Amin, International Union for Conservation of Nature Country Representative in Bangladesh.
Md Alamgir Kabir from World Vision Child and Youth Forums spoke at the event. He said, “Adequate funding and awareness will help youths to make the right choice for protecting themselves from the risks and consequences of climate change.”
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