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Today, the United Nations celebrates the first International Day of Play. design Recognize the importance of play, especially to children’s development. This is an opportunity to remember what is often described as Forget rightsperhaps because many adults view play and leisure as a luxury or mistakenly believe it is an inevitable part of every child’s life.
Play is essential It promotes children’s cognitive, emotional, social and physical development. It teaches children to self-regulate and build relationships with peers and caregivers, and is integral to early learning. In humanitarian crises, many children also rely on play to cope with and escape difficult situations.
All children have one The right to playas enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely ratified international human rights treaty. But Human Rights Watch research found that many children do not have safe or adequate access to play, and some are unable to play at all.
in England, stay Habit Providing shelter for asylum seekersStanding water, which often lasts for months, is often unsuitable for children to play. Families report that lack of space and open areas are frequent issues. This can affect children of all ages, from infants and toddlers learning to crawl to teenagers looking to enjoy recreational activities.
Kabwe in ZambiaThe town is notorious for its high lead contamination levels, with children facing catastrophic health risks when playing outdoors, as the soil they play in is the primary source of lead exposure in and around the town. This is due to contamination from a former lead-zinc mine that the government has yet to clean up.
Some governments violate children’s rights to participate in sports. In Saudi ArabiaSince 2018, girls have only been allowed to participate in certain sports and still face significant barriers that limit their participation in sports and physical activities. Taliban take over Afghanistan In 2021, thousands of girls were denied the right to play sports. Japan, Haiti and Malichildren experience severe abuse while playing sports, including corporal punishment, sexual and gender-based violence.
International Play Day should motivate governments to actively and consistently uphold children’s right to play in an environment that is safe, accessible, appropriate and free from abuse and discrimination.
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