New
Delhi, 5 July 2016 –UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka
Chopra today addressed over 100 adolescents from top schools and over 80 media from
Delhi and Haryana, highlighting the need to give a Fair Start to every child.
The Fair Start campaign was
unveiled by UNICEF India recently in the backdrop of the global advocacy
efforts on Equity for Children. It focusses on persisting inequities that large
groups of children in India face, affecting their survival, growth and
development. The #FairStart film
gives an insight into the lives of thousands of children from various
background, who are full of potential but less likely to grow up healthy and
safe, less likely to attend school, less likely to learn, and more likely to be
married as children.
UNICEF India works closely with
the Government of India and many other partners to try to improve the situation
of the most vulnerable and deprived children, ensuring that each child born in
this vast and complex country gets the best start in life, thrives and develops
to his or her full potential. Investing in children, particularly the most
vulnerable, brings multiple benefits not only to children but also to their
families, communities and economies.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr.
Louis Georges Arsenault, UNICEF Representative to India said, “We have a clear
choice to make – to invest in progress of children being left-behind or if
unaddressed, face consequences of a far more divided and unfair world by 2030. Changing mind-sets through
awareness-raising is critical. Mobilising entire communities – in terms of
political, caste and religious leaders to frontline workers, parents and
children have shown positive results. An
integrated approach is needed to bring about change. This includes enforcement
of legislation and protective mechanisms, ensure access to education for girls
and generating opportunities for empowerment.”
Currently, 6.1 million children in
India are out- of -school; around 10 million children are engaged in work in
India; close to 3500 children die every day before reaching age 5; 42 per cent
of tribal children in India are stunted in their growth and development; and
almost half the population of India, about 564 million people still practice
open defecation. Girls in India deserve an equal chance in life too, but on an
average 2.22 million girls marry early every year in India, and 23% girls
between 15-19 years of age experience physical or sexual violence.
“To make change happen, a
mind-shift is required. When the most deprived children are not given a fair
chance to realise their rights, they fall further behind. Each one of us can make a difference in our own
spheres of life, by creating awareness and ensuring that every child reaches
their full potential.”
Ms Chopra has been
associated with UNICEF for almost a decade. In 2010, she was appointed a UNICEF
National Ambassador, tasked specifically with promoting child rights and
adolescence. She has partnered with UNICEF to feature in videos and
advertisements aimed at building awareness for child rights and the need to create
healthy environments for children, filled with opportunities to blossom. She is
kindly lending her voice to the strong cause of providing each child a fair
start in life.
About UNICEF
UNICEF
promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together
with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that
commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most
vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
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