Children

Are todays kids being forced into dressing sexy? Many agree that we have taken a major shift in what is appropriate versus, what is not appropriate. Barbie was introduced in the ’50s, and left many over time to complain that she gave girls an unrealistic image of body type. Barbie’s with her obvious disproportionate curves and limbs, which in real life would have left Barbie to fall flat on her face. However is seems Barbie is tame in comparison to new toys such as Bratz dolls, who seem to have taken sexy dressing to a new level.

A friend of mine and I took her three kids to McDonald’s for their monthly Happy Meal treat, and while she is never that fond of the little plastic toys, this time she wasn’t worried about small parts getting into her youngest child’s mouth, but the shear appropriateness of the toy given in the Happy Meal for her 3 year old daughter. The toy was a little Bratz doll, who was daunting a mini skirt to defy all mini skirts, paired with a top that was no more coving than a bra.

We quickly did diversion tactics to get the toy away, but the incident left my friend to question how we got to this point. She asked me, “Does the creation of such toy’s cause more children to be objectified, and in anyway contribute to pedophilia and child trafficking?” The truth is unknown, but I venture to say it is not a positive step in the right direction, when we are desperately fighting to end the enslavement of millions of children caught in sex trafficking and pedophilia. The outfits surely cannot be helpful in curbing a pedophiles urges to sexualise children.

This brings me into Halloween costumes for children, which are not the innocent fun of the past, so many of them now are sex inspired…sexy is now the norm for our children. When you look at the costumes, I know that if I where to where them, it would be seen as sexy. Therefore if it is a sexy costume for a grown woman, then it would appear obvious that is too sexy for a child, and therefore highly inappropriate. However there appears to be a plethora of sexy styled children’s Halloween costumes, including a line by Bratz.

Meredith O’Brien, who is the author of A Suburban Mom: Notes from the Asylum, ask the question, “When did little girls costumes, have to be sexy?” (Walking the Streets on All Hallow’s Eve). Creativity seems to be replaced by skimpy, when it comes to costumes today. And many argue that these costumes only serve to objectify girls, and leave them more vulnerable to predictors.

At what point do we put our food down and just say, no, this is not appropriate for children? And who is to blame, the parents, entertainment industry, or toy manufactures? The blame is to be jointly shared, while the corporate and entertainment industry, do have to take responsibility, it is ultimately up to you the parents. The hard truth is if parents don’t let their children watch shows, buy toys, etc. then there would be no real demand for production. But the reality is we are inundated such shows, idols and toys. However many parents allow their children to watch shows where the characters are dressed in a way they feel is inappropriate, or a show that is not age appropriate. The truth is I find the children watching the so-call teen or tween shows, are by far much younger. Children aged 5-9 are watching shows where the characters are 13-15, and of course they want to emulate them. Then there are the toys, which are far easier to regulate than TV, therefore just don’t buy them. The sexualisation of children, has reached a point in which we must make a concerted effort as an international community to end, otherwise children will face a future in which there is a lot less childhood, and that is something we should all be worried about.

A French Charity, Zoe’s Ark (L’Arche de Zoé) is accused of child trafficking in Chad. Chadian President Idriss Deby has even gone as far to accused the charity of accusing trying to take 103 children, to sell into the sex trade, and even sell their organs on the black market (according to a BBC news report).

The children where reportedly to be taken to France to live with some 50 families, who where waiting for the children’s arrival. The children, who were all claimed to be Sudanese, although some are now suspected to be Chadian, all though final verifications and investigations are yet to be completed.are now in protective custody in Chad and will be return All the children are to be returned to their families.

France has stated that the charity was acting illegally, neither Chad nor Sudan, have legalized international adoptions. Although charity representatives state that the children where only to be placed in temporary host family situations, and that the move out of the country was to save their lives. Some media reported that the children – aged one to nine according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) – were orphaned and sick and being evacuated to receive health care. One humanitarian worker in Chad told IRIN some of the children had bandaged limbs. However in later reports the UNHCR claimed the children were in good health, while the Chadian Minister of the Interior and Public Safety, Ahmat Mahamat Bachir, said that not all of the children were actually orphans.

What fate the children would have faced if transported out of Chad is still unknown. However in a day and age when the selling of humans, especially children, is becoming the worlds biggest business, one does not want to take any chances. The truth in this case may never be known, but in many ways it is a relief to see a government taking hard action to prevent possible trafficking, as in most cases children are not so lucky.

The French NGO staff of 6, 3 French journalist and 7 Spanish flight crew where placed under immediate arrest, and have today been formally charged, all could face a sentence of hard labor in Chad (French charity workers face kidnapping charges in Chad). The French charity workers where all charged with kidnapping, while the French journalist and the Spanish flight staff, where all charged with complicity (Chad charges aid workers with kidnapping).

A committee of 21 NGOs working in eastern Chad, including Save the Children, Oxfam, and Action against Hunger, has signed a joint statement expressing “profound concern” over the incident, which the committee calls a “serious violation” of the children’s rights.

“Since our arrival in Chad, we have worked very closely with the Chadian and Sudanese communities to assure that their basic needs are met,” the statement says. “We have always respected the rights of children in the communities we serve, and we will continue to integrate these fundamental principles into our work”(NGOs work to clear their name after child ‘trafficking’).

Incidents of some mild violence against NGO’s in the region, and the sheer scale of detriment that the case could cause to the international aid community, has prompted the EU to make a statement. ‘This is an isolated incident, the result of irresponsible conduct,’ a spokesman for the EU’s executive, the Commission, said (EU condemns “irresponsible” NGO in Chad orphan drama).

The story looks to be one of great international debate and uproar, however one can only hope that other stories of child trafficking can receive such public interest and outcry.

Killing or selectively aborting a child purely for the fact that is a girl, seems like some thing out of our dark history, sadly it is not. Right this very moment a child is probably being killed for no other reason other than they are female, as thousands of infant or unborn girls are killed every week. In India a girl is often seen not as a blessing, but a burden…too expensive, or not as prosperous as boys. This is not a new phenomenon, and it is not limited to the poor, but it must come to an end before there is a serious deficiency of girls. In some parts of India the lack of available girls for brides is already being heavily felt.

Earlier this year UNICEF reported that of 100 million females worldwide who would have been born, 43 million where Indian. The estimation was based on females denied life under extreme circumstances, which includes foeticide.The use of ultrasounds have only increased the gender discrimination of girls, prompting many woman to selectively abort female fetuses (abortion has been legal since 1971). In July this year, dozens of aborted female fetuses were found in a well of a clinic, which was conducting illegal sex selection tests and foeticide/abortions (Harsh reality of India’s unwanted girls).

While foeticide has been baned in India since 1994, the practice is still wide spread, and has only been driven underground. Although it is not as underground as one would think, as you can see by advertisements, like the one shown above. “Sex selection is estimated to be worth about 100 million dollars in India, although all of it is underground and a large part of it operates through mobile sex-selection clinics. ‘Pay Rs 5000 today and save Rs 5 lakhs tomorrow,’ was one such advertising slogan (Sex Selection is big business in India)”.

Sadly selective abortions are not the only way families are ridding themselves of unwanted girls, many are blatantly killing the infants. In July this year a 2 day old baby girls was found burred alive, the baby named , was buried by her maternal grandfather, who claimed he could not afford to support another female in the family.

The issue of gender inequality and India’s tendency to rid the society of millions of girls, was brought to light once again on This World: India’s Missing Girls which was broadcast on Monday 22 October 2007 at 1900 BST on BBC Two.

Sadly the issue has been brought to light again and again, especially in the last five years, yet the real impact has not been felt, as little progress has been made and change seems to remain in the distant future. Until the government and international community really stamp down, but more importantly educate the population on the long term effects of sex discrimination and foeticide, the fate of girls across India is in danger.

Please also see my previous article, Are Girls Still Marginalized Discrimination and Gender Inequality in Todays Society.

Links:
Gendercide Watch
Gender Gaps in Abortion in India

Asia ‘to halve extreme poverty by 2015′, according to a new report by the Asian Development Bank and the UN Development Program. While “many more children are surviving beyond their fifth birthday,” the report was not as favorable on the issue of child malnutrition, as 1.9 billion people are still living without access to safe sanitation and drinking water.

There are just not enough children in Europe, and now the European Governments Battle the Continent’s Birth Dearth. If Europe continues on the same foot it has been, then many countries will suffer a lack of working age population by 2050. The population decrease has some governments are now searching for solutions, including incentive plans for woman that have more children.

In Iraq Mental problems and stress disorders increase, leaving children even more vulnerable. The sounds of war can keep anyone restless and scared, causing extensive trauma. Anytime someone is prolong to such destruction and death, it takes a large toll, especially on children. Keeping Children Alive, a local Baghdad NGO, has registered about 1,800 children seeking psychological help since January 2007 alone.

In Darfur, Sudan, new polio case sparks vaccination program, headed by UN agencies and Sudanese health officials, the two-day countrywide polio immunization campaign began on 23 October.

In Nepal children are in great danger of more deaths due to diarrhea outbreak , as a lack of adequate medical supplies continues. “The main problem in remote villages is a lack of even a basic knowledge of sanitation and clean drinking water,” said a local health volunteer, Saraswati Shah. Shah, stressed the need for education on sanitation issues, which could virtually eliminate the need for medical care, as diarrhea and cholera out brakes would decrease.

New approach to malaria recommended in West Africa. “For the control of malaria vectors, we had previously recommended the use of mosquito nets, but today the experience of some countries in southern Africa with indoor house spraying – containing the once-banned insecticide DDT – has yielded positive results. This is very important to beat malaria and it is going to contribute to controlling mosquitoes not only in bedrooms, but in houses and verandas,” said Stephan Tohon, of the WHO.

Slum Survivors was released earlier this week by IRIN. The film is the first full length documentary produced by IRIN, the documentary tells the stories of some of Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenyan, Africa’s largest slum with a population around one million.

While the documentary does not focus on children specifically, it does share the stories of some children, however it is easy to quickly grasp the harsh reality that awaits any child who is born in to the Kibera slums. A child born into the slums endures a life in imprisoned by poverty, and with education as little more than a dream, escape for most is highly unlikely. In this world of daily survival, girls face even greater hardship, as gender inequality runs rampant.

“My dad wants everyone to drop out of school. He complains that he has no money, or that he’s sick … I don’t know … I don’t know why he doesn’t want us to learn.” - Christina, 17

Christina’s father was even more adamant about the money for education not being wasted on her, as she is a girl! Sadly Christina is not alone. It is situations like Christina’s and a life living in the Kibera, watching it grow out of control, as even more rural migration has expanded the settlement, which caused Abdul Kassim, to establish a secondary school for girls. Abdul rightfully fears that the situation in the slums is only going to get worse, as it continues to grow, and continues to be ignored.

“I don’t see why people are living the way they are living in Kibera, or in any other slums, there is no reason - there is no justification. And in Kibera if this issue is not handled at some time this problem is going to come knocking at people’s doors - and those who think it’s not their problem might be surprised one day when this problem comes knocking at their door.”

Children in the slums are ripe for abuse, and they face nothing but hardship after hardship. With a lack of proper nutrition, plumbing and clean water, children are at high risk for diseases such as malaria, cholera, and typhoid. Many children are abused, The number of orphans, and specifically AIDs orphans in Kibera is high, leaving many live alone or to live amongst other youths. All the children in Kibera spend their lives in fear and desperation. Solvent abuse, such as sniffing glue, is wide spread, and many children steal and pick-pocket the Nairobi streets, just to have a few shillings to get food.

Links:
Kibera Slum Foundation

In a world where you have children inundated with toys, gadgets, and interactive computer and video games, one is often questioning if these games are really a good idea for your adolescent children. Games like Grand Theft Auto, only teach children violence and disrespect, and in a world of endless violence in the games industry many where left to wonder if the phenomenon would ever end. It appears now that there is light in the darkness as “serious games” are beginning to hit the market.

Games that teach about current events, and political conflict are the new bread of high tech toys out there for kids. Even the UN has gotten on board with the gaming industry with the game Food Force, which is seen as one of the most successful political games. “The game is distributed free of charge by the UN World Food Program and is not meant to shake people awake by means of shock effects; rather, it is designed to offer insight into the complex world of famine relief. The player’s task is to reduce food scarcity on a fictitious island — despite financial bottlenecks, enemy rebels and numerous practical constraints. (Games Industry Discovers Gitmo, Hunger and Other Serious Issues)”. Later this month, a new 3D strategy game “Global Conflicts: Palestine,” comes out, the game has the player role playing as a journalist, doing research in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

It appears that these games with a political message, will only be increasing in the future, and that new serious games could be the way forward. The conference Games for Change, held this past June in New York, is now in its fourth year, was established to bring organizations and developers together to create nontraditional games that promote social change. Members include those in the gaming industry, academia, nonprofits, local and state governments, foundations, the UN and artists.

Links to games and background information:

Information about ” Virtual Gitmo“

“Gone Gitmo” in Second Life or teleport to “IML” (Institute for Media Literacy)

Background about “Gone Gitmo” from the Annenberg School of Law

Animated film about “Gone Gitmo”

Background information about the conference ” Games for Change“

“Darfur is Dying,” a game produced by the University of Southern California and sponsored by Reebok and MTV

“Food Force” — a game produced by the World Food Organization

“Global Conflicts: Palestine“

Peacemaker

When fighting hunger and famine, there is no easy way to deliver sustainable amounts of food, nor has the fight to see that the suffering receive balanced nutrition come easy. However substancial improvements have been made, and products have been developed to better aid those suffering from malnutrition. Children no longer have to be taken to feeding centers, and parents can tend to their children at home, which would cause many to have to undergo a substantial journey. Thus the fight against hunger has already won the battle of convenience, but convenient it may be, widely used enough it is not.

With some 20 million children around the globe suffering from acute malnutrition, the way we approach their treatment is no small matter. Médecins Sans Frontières, is now calling for a global move in the treatment of child malnutrition, stating that use of therapeutic ready-to-use foods (RUF), such as Plumpy’nut, should be dramatically increased.

Dr Christophe Fournier, the president of MSF’s International Council stated, “It’s not about how much food children get, it’s what’s in the food that counts. Without the right amounts of vitamins and essential nutrients in their diets, young children become vulnerable to diseases that they would normally be able to fight off easily. Given their effectiveness, the use of RUF should not be limited to children with severe acute malnutrition. It should be expanded to address malnutrition in young children before it progresses to a life-threatening stage (MSF urges new approach to malnutrition treatment).”

Fighting malnutrition at early stages is esential in the prevention of many related health issues, not to mention death in many children who are unable to recover by the time they receive care. By working to eliminate mild to moderate malnutrition, we will eventually eradicate severe acute malnutrition, and save millions of children from needless suffering and a million more lives. It is estimated that one million children die each year due to malnutrition, and yet we have the means and strategy to save them.

Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF, cautioned that the use of Plumpy’nut “cannot be the only strategy to address the issue of severe malnutrition. You’ve got to have an agricultural strategy that provides adequate products for the population,” Veneman also stated the importance of breast-feeding in the fight against malnutrition (Peanut product to combat child malnutrition).

The use of Plumpy’nut has not been as widely used by other aid agencies in the past, as many claimed the high cost hindered the use of the product. However can one put a price on the life of a child? The cost of Plumpy’nut is around $20 per child, per month…it is hardly an extreme expense. While the use of Plumpy’nut and other RUF’s should not be the sole saving grace against malnutrition, their cost should not be a factor.

Additional Links of Interest:
5 facts about starvation that could change the world agenda

The world is always looking for a crystal ball…a window into the future, and the fact that we don’t have one is all too often our scapegoat for not responding quickly to a crisis. “We just didn’t see it coming…We just where not prepared.”, are almost infamous words in the world of international development. The world cannot deny that we miss the signs of crisis time and again, and our failure to act only deepens situations and suffering. Often we do see the impending emergency, and we still turn a blind eye, hopping that when we look back it will all be a dream, or simply just go away. Sadly the world does not just fix it’s self, and mankind depends on their fellow man for assistance in a time of need.

This is not to say that there are not people and groups who are dedicated and working to prevent crisis, there are, and they doing their best with the limited resources they have. However they cannot win the fight alone, and true crisis prevention must come from a global level. It appears that we are not a society which responds as well to ’signs’, as to antiquated predictions, but a society that needs cutting edge statistical predictions and methodology which are fully backed by the international community, in order to collectively work to prevent a formidable crisis. Therefore the question is, if we know it’s going to happen will we act in a more positive and preventative manner?

In recent news a group of economists in Kenya, say they have developed a model which can forecast severe child malnutrition, leading to famine, some three months prior to the crisis. “Our forecasts are likely to be correct more than 75 percent of the time,” said Andrew Mude, the leading author of the study. However early warning experts are cautious to respond, “The key issue for early warning is that it needs to link to response. Producing information with this new approach without understanding the previous obstacles to improved response will only solve half the problem.”, according to Grainne Moloney, Nutrition Project Manager for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Food Security Analysis Unit in Somalia. (Model to predict child malnutrition)

Therefore while prediction and forecasting are of the utmost necessity in crisis prevention, they are not to be taken as a saving grace, and will do little good if we are not prepared to act, and ready to act. Thus systems and methodologies for quick action in wake or anticipation of a crisis, must be establish worldwide, and the ability to activate such methodologies therefore must contain the capacity to be easily and quickly initiated.