UNICEF calls on political parties to ‘vote for children’

Esra Ülkar - ISTANBUL

AA Photo

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Turkey has launched a campaign titled “Vote for Children” before the June 7 general elections, calling on all political parties to include children’s rights issues in their election campaigns. 

While launching the campaign, UNICEF stated they called on political party leaders, officials and members, as well as parliamentary candidates in Turkey, to unite and vote for children. 

UNICEF has called for equal opportunities for girls and boys, inclusive policies for all children and investment in and empowerment of children within its campaign.

The organization stated Turkey ranked 118th out of 148 countries in the gender development index prepared by the Human Development Report 2014 and 125th out of 142 in the global gender gap index in the report prepared by the World Economic Forum. 

Among the topics that topped UNICEF’s call was the early marriage of young girls in particular. 

UNICEF presented a number of other measures to be taken to improve the rights of children, including enhancing equality among children and adolescents by addressing gender-based discrimination, combatting gender-based violence, especially violence at home, sexual abuse and exploitation, honor killings and last but not least, increasing the legal age of marriage to 18 and introducing stricter legal conditions while monitoring exceptions. 

UNICEF declared that its aim with the “Vote for Children” campaign was to increase public awareness of child rights throughout the election campaign.