Universal Children’s Day – Children’s Day in India
On Saturday we will celebrate Universal Children’s Day! This is not only important for us because our mission is to create a safe environment for children every day but also because the day gets special attention in India, with which we as a company have a strong connection.
In this article, we would like to explain to you the history behind the universal children’s day, why India celebrates this day six days earlier, the rights of children in India, and our connection with India.
The story behind Universal Children’s Day
Originally, Children’s Day was founded in 1857 in the United States of America but made its way quickly over the entire world. Even though most countries celebrate Children’s Day on the 1st of June, the annual Universal Children’s Day on the 20th of November is still very important in many other countries.
Children’s Day is a day to raise awareness on education, the rights, and the proper care of children as they are the foundation of a better future. This day is celebrated all over the world and children get overwhelmed with love, pampering, and in some countries even with gifts. Some schools offer a special Children’s Day program like dancing, music, or competitions to entertain children in a unique and special way on that day.
Why does India celebrate the Children’s Day on the 14th of November?
The United Nations decided to celebrate children annually on the 20th of November. After the death of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, India decided to select his birthday – the 14th of November – as their official Children’s Day. Nehru worked not only very intensively on the rights of children, but he also established an all-inclusive education system, that helped children to access all the knowledge they need without paying for it. Jawaharlal Nehru strongly believed that children are the future and therefore, they should be able to receive the best education and care possible.
The rights of children in India
Looking at the Constitution of India, the rights of each child include the following:
- Children have the right to free and compulsory elementary education for all children that are in the 6–14-year age group
- They have the right to be protected from any hazardous employment
- All Children have the right to early childhood care and education
- A child has the right to be protected from abuse’
- Children have the right to be protected from the economic necessity to enter occupations unsuited to their age or strength
- They have the right to equal opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner
- Children have the right to freedom, dignity and guaranteed protection of childhood and youth against exploitation
Arte Viva’s connection to India
For many years already our Co-Director Sandra Lansbergen has been part of the organization Women on Wings. The aim of Women on Wings is to create one million jobs for women in rural India. The global economy in India is exceptionally large and constantly expanding. People living in the middle class can grow along with these changes, whereas people from the underclass only live with around two dollars a day. This lack of income has a massive impact on families, which makes many of them live in poverty.
Women on Wings wants to help young females to get a job that will generate an income, economic autonomy, and an escape from the cycle of poverty. With a higher income, children will be able to attend school, which will increase their chances of a better future.
This organization is remarkably close to our heart and therefore we would not only like to raise awareness about Children’s Day itself but also about the children and their rights in India.
Questions
To discover more of our products, have a look at our website, feel free to contact us or send us a request. We are happy to hear from you!