Ombudswoman, UNICEF on International Children’s Day: pandemic has seriously affected children’s rights
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The Georgian public defender and UNICEF Georgia have stated on the International Children’s Day today that the coronavirus pandemic has further aggravated the situation of children’s rights in Georgia.
Ombudswoman Nino Lomjaria has stated that the risks of child abuse, poverty, violations of the rights to healthcare and education have increased amid the pandemic.
She said that the number of minors receiving social allowance increased from 152,000 to 186,000 from January to December 2020.
Public Defender’s Statement on International Children's Day https://t.co/fzLRVtAlWn
— Ombudsman of Georgia (@Ombudsman_Geo) June 1, 2021
The remote learning process is also associated with problems, especially for children with disabilities, children living in poverty and children living in rural areas. Violence against children remains a challenge; In 2020, investigations were launched into 254 cases of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of minors,”Lomjaria said.
UNICEF Representative in Georgia, Ghassan Khalil on Child Protection Day. pic.twitter.com/hJ8VJoF8VU
— UNICEF Georgia (@unicefgeorgia) June 1, 2021
She stated that Georgia has been facing the most serious violations of children’s rights over the years, ‘which are mostly related to the inefficiency of support services, delayed response by the state, shortcomings in social and childcare programmes.
Lomjaria said that the public attitudes towards violations of children’s rights are still mixed and children often find themselves alone against violence.
Dozens of Georgian children have developed a multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) which is a rare but serious complication associated with COVID-19, Radio Liberty has reported.
A man has been detained for forcing his nine- and 12-year-old children to beg in the street or sell small items in various districts of Tbilisi since 2019 till November 2020.
About 70 per cent of children given to state care by social workers in 2019-2020 have been subject to violence, while the remaining 30 per cent have been placed in state care due to economic factors, said Deputy Health Minister Tamar Barkalaia.
A total of 29,800 children in Georgia do not have proper conditions to even wash their hands with soap and water at home, says UNICEF, which added that children living in families where there is a lack of proper conditions and sanitary facilities are especially vulnerable to the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
At the initiative of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, assistance to socially vulnerable children will be doubled starting July 1. Instead of existing 50 GEL, assistance for socially vulnerable children will be 100 GEL in Georgia.
Assistance for economically disadvantaged children has increased to 100 GEL (about $31/€26) per month starting today, instead of the current rate of 50 GEL (about $15/€13), Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s press office announced.
The international online educational platform CK-12 has become available in Georgian language for both teachers and students through a partnership between UNICEF Georgia, the Georgian Ministry of Education, Education Coalition and CK-12 International Fund with the support of the Norwegian government.
International Children’s Day will be celebrated with events in downtown Tbilisi’s recreational parks, with visitors to be hosted at Mziuri, Kikvidze and Vaso Godziashvili parks on June 1, Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced on Thursday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili marked International Children’s Day on Wednesday by announcing his Government would raise assistance to socially vulnerable children from ₾100 ($33/€30) to ₾150 ($49/€46).
Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi is celebrating International Children’s Day with a range of concerts, exhibitions, educational activities and theatre shows in recreational parks of the city.