If you had to guess the leading cause of death for children and young people globally, what would you say? Malaria? Pneumonia? Suicide? They’re all up there, but no, it’s road crashes. Cars have been around for over 120 years, and we know how to prevent these tragedies. Yet road crashes still claim more than two lives every minute, and nearly 1.2 million lives every year. If these deaths were caused by a virus, it would be called a pandemic and the world would scramble to develop vaccines to prevent them. And yet reducing road deaths has long been overlooked, misunderstood and underfunded. People will always make mistakes on the roads, but we have proven solutions that ensure our transport systems can absorb these errors in a way that significantly reduces the risk of death. As part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, the world has set an ambitious target of halving road deaths worldwide by 2030. Just ten countries - including some hard-hit low and middle-income countries – managed to reduce road deaths by more than 50% in a decade, and more than 30 countries are close behind.  This shows that the target can be met but it is nowhere near enough. We need urgent action. Key to meeting this goal is the decision to design and build our transport systems for people - not for motor vehicles - and to make safety paramount in all decisions and actions. This is especially important for the most vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle riders, who are often left dangerously exposed. Advancing road safety is crucial in itself, but it is also key to sustainable development overall. The world is going through an unprecedented wave of motorization. More than a billion vehicles are on the roads. This is unsustainable, so we must focus on moving people, not cars, motorbikes and trucks. Transport accounts for one quarter of global carbon emissions, and fuels congestion in our cities. Yet when mobility is made safe and accessible, people choose the greener options of public transport, walking and cycling.Designing cities around sustainable transport - with cycling lanes, pedestrian zones, and accessible public transport - also strengthens communities by making spaces safer and more livable, while improving access to adequate housing and basic services for all.Safe roads power economies. Road deaths can cost countries around 3 to 5% of GDP, and ensuring more people can move safely to their jobs, schools and vital services drives development. Safe, accessible and affordable transport also breaks down barriers to jobs, schools and opportunities for disadvantaged groups. This helps ensure everyone can reach their potential.The same holds true for gender equality, and in some countries up to 80% of women report suffering harassment on public transport, so we must make transport safe for women and girls.Road safety is everyone’s business and to succeed we need a range of sectors to be involved. Urban planners and engineers must ensure safety is built into infrastructure. Academia and civil society can generate evidence. The media can dig deeper into what works, what doesn’t and why. The private sector has tremendous influence. Businesses can contribute to safe and sustainable mobility by applying proven principles and practices throughout their value chains. They must only sell vehicles that meet United Nations safety standards.Yet the role of government is paramount. Governments must provide strategic and well-coordinated approaches, strong policy and legal frameworks that enforce safety standards and safe behaviors, and sufficient funding. Law enforcement and education are also key. This vision is right at the heart of the Global Plan for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, which offers a blueprint for governments to reduce road deaths.This week, world leaders will meet for a Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Morocco. They will assess progress, share knowledge, and advance actions to halve road deaths by 2030.They are set to adopt a new Marrakech Declaration, which recognizes road safety as an urgent public health and development priority, and that our efforts must be guided by the principles of equity, accessibility, and sustainability. The Declaration calls on leaders to step up efforts to action the Global Plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. We need a step change in political will, a sense of urgency, evidenced-based, strategies that are costed and implemented, strong coordination and adequate financing. Road safety is a crisis that has gone on far too long. No road deaths are necessary or acceptable. Yet it is also much more than that. Safe and sustainable mobility can power a better future for us all. ***End****_______________________________This op-ed was initiated by WHO and the UN SG’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, co-signed by 15 Heads of UN agencies/departments and by the Minister of Transport of Morrocco. To be distributed in the context of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference for Road Safety to be held on 18-20 February in Marrakesh. The op-ed has been co-signed by 15 Heads of UN agencies/departments and by H.E. Mr. Abdessamad Kayouh, Minister of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Morocco, Host of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHOJean Todt, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road SafetyAchim Steiner, Administrator of UNDPRabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing StatesInger Andersen, UN Under-Secretary-General & Executive Director of UNEPAnaclaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-HabitatFilippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of UNOPSTatiana Molcean, UN Under-Secretary-General/Executive Secretary of UNECEArmida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of UNESCAPClaver Gatete, Executive Secretary of UNECARola Dashti, Executive Secretary of ESCWAJosé Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of UNECLACGilles Michaud, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security (UNDSS)Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs
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PRETORIA, 26 November 2024 – “More than 3 children and 10 women were murdered daily in South Africa between July and September 2024, according to the latest South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics. Another 490 children were victims of attempted murder, marking a worrying increase of 35.7% since the same quarter of the previous year.  The statistics – launched on Monday, November 25th at the start of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children – yet again underscore the concerning scale of violence against children and women in South Africa.  The dire situation that children face is further illustrated by the recently released Stats SA Child Series Volume III. The study finds that 58 children are sexually abused in South Africa every day – a figure that equates to 40% of the total reported sexual offences in the country committed against children.    The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has also, on the 18th of November, released the First South African National Gender-Based Violence Study, which finds that 33.1% of all women in South Africa aged 18 years and older have experienced physical violence in their lifetime. The study suggests that childhood physical [30.4%], sexual [56.2%] and/or emotional abuse [40.1%] before age 15, are factors associated with lifetime physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence victimisation among women.   UNICEF has been reacting publicly to the quarterly crime statistics and the disturbing levels of violence that children and women face in South Africa.  We speak out as a United Nations agency with a child rights advocacy mandate, and we will keep doing so because such high levels of violence should never be accepted as a norm in society.     The 16 Days of Activism is an annual moment where, despite the horrific violence that daily occurs, our voices become louder together, our resolve draws strength from one-another and our actions give hope to the idea that we can end violence in our lifetime.  So often as individuals we feel powerless to stop the scourge of violence that does not only stalk our streets at night but exists in our homes, bedrooms and online through our phones and devices. In the face of this, it is tempting to feel hopeless or that nothing can be done. Thembile, a single father of two boys who lives in Cape Town, felt the same. ‘I used to be a very angry and violent person. I was very abusive […] when my boys didn’t listen, I’d take off my belt and spank them’.But, after being introduced to the idea by a friend, Thembile attended a parenting support programme at The Parent Centre. ‘Ever since I’ve started attending the sessions […], I’ve changed a lot […] I’m now able to think before I act’, he says.  Parenting support programmes and resources guide caregivers and equip them with the tools to give their child the best support throughout their child’s development. The value of parenting support is evident in how relationships are strengthened at home and in how children develop holistically – from their nutritional needs to their mental health and their cognitive and emotional developmental.  The key benefits of parenting support include: Improved parenting practices: Positive parenting techniques, play-based learning, conflict resolution strategies, and effective communication skills can foster healthy parent-child relationships and reduce the likelihood of violence.Enhanced child development: Children who receive nurturing and supportive care are more likely to develop strong social and emotional skills, leading to positive outcomes in school, relationships, and overall well-being.Strengthened family bonds: Parenting support programs have been proven to help families build resilience, cope with stress, and create a safe and loving environment.Prevention of abuse and neglect: Evidence-based parenting programs are effective in preventing child abuse and neglect by providing access to the resources and knowledge necessary to create safe and nurturing environments for childrenReduced community violence: By addressing the root causes of violence within families, these programs can contribute to a safer and more peaceful society.Investment in society: Research suggests that every dollar spent on early childhood interventions delivers a 13 per cent per annum return on investment, through better education, economic, health and social outcomes.Long-Term Benefits: Positive parenting practices are linked to better long-term outcomes for children, including improved educational achievement and reduced risk-taking behaviours throughout their lives“It is for these reasons that UNICEF is working hard to achieve a vision of universal parenting support for all parents and caregivers, everywhere – including in South Africa”, says UNICEF South Africa Representative, Christine Muhigana.  “As we mark 16 Days of Activism this year, we know that there is more that government, the police and the criminal justice system must do to turn the tide. But we are reminded also that each of us is not powerless, and that we can all take action to end violence,’ adds Muhigana. Parenting support programmes and resources are one such way to take action. Accessible, low-data and often freely-available online or in person, parenting support resources and programmes – like ParentText, ParentLine the UNICEF Parenting Hub, ECDMobi, Side-by-Side and the National Parenting Programme – have the power to break intergenerational cycles of violence.  In every home where a caregiver receives parenting support and where conflict is resolved through positive parenting, gender-responsive parenting and communication, we see another step taken towards a South Africa free of violence against women and children, where every child can thrive.  ‘There is something you are given the day you are born’, says Thembile, ‘it’s called your mouth.’ ‘There are people who first use their fists to solve the problem and then want to talk afterwards, [but I’ve learnt] to use my words to fix things.’” 
Media contacts:Sudeshan Reddy, Communication Specialist, UNICEF South AfricaTel: +27 82 561 3970. Email: sureddy@unicef.orgDaniel Hartford, Campaigns and Communications, UNICEF South AfricaTel: +27 78 828 7371. Email: dhartford@unicef.orgAdditional resourcesVisit our Parenting hubWatch Thembile's story, filtered_html

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, November 25, the report Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides by UN Women and UNODC reveals that femicide—the most extreme form of violence against women and girls—remains pervasive globally.  Globally, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023. 60 percent of these homicides –51,000- were committed by an intimate partner or other family member. 140 women and girls die every day at the hands of their partner or a close relative, which means one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes.   In 2023, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide, followed by the Americas and then by Oceania. In Europe and the Americas, most women killed in the domestic sphere (64 percent and 58 percent, respectively) were victims of intimate partners, while elsewhere, family members were the primary perpetrators. “Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable. We need robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, it is time for world leaders to UNiTE and act with urgency, recommit, and channel the resources needed to end this crisis once and for all", highlighted UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous.   “The new femicide report highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems that hold perpetrators accountable while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. “At the same time, we must confront and dismantle the gender biases, power imbalances, and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women. As this year’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign begins, we must act now to protect women’s lives.” The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2025, coupled with the fast-approaching five-year deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, presents a critical opportunity to rally all stakeholders to take decisive and urgent action for women’s rights and gender equality. This includes ending impunity and preventing all forms of violence against women and girls.  16 Days of Activism:  Through the 16 Days of Activism campaign, UN Women will call for revitalizing commitments, accountability, and action from decision-makers. This year, we mark the 25th anniversary of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women with an official commemoration event in New York on 25 November that will highlight best practices for investing to prevent violence against women, gaps and challenges, and the way forward.   A global social media campaign to speak up against gender-based violence has been launched using #NoExcuse and #16Days. 
Media contact: Maphuti Mahlaba: Communication Analyst, UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office, Tel: +27 65 742 4459, Email: Maphuti.mahlaba@unwomen.org, filtered_html

PRETORIA, 20 November 2024: To commemorate World Children's Day today, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has published a Situation Analysis report detailing the wellbeing of children and adolescents in South Africa across various social sectors including, health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation and social protection. In keeping with UNICEF’s mandate to safeguard the rights of all children, this extensive report reveals critical data (from multiple sources), achievements and ongoing challenges impacting South Africa’s children and young people. In doing so, it aims to raise awareness among policymakers and practitioners about the situation of children and adolescents in South Africa, including vulnerabilities, deprivations and barriers, particularly those most at risk and who have been left behind, despite the notable gains over the past thirty years of democracy.  UNICEF South Africa’s Representative Christine Muhigana emphasized the importance of these findings: "This report is an urgent call to action for all sectors to promote and protect the rights of every child and young person across the country. It is a roadmap for policymakers, the private sector, communities, and related stakeholders to create sustainable improvements in the lives of children and young people." The report focuses on UNICEF’s global priority areas, including rights to survive and thrive; rights to education and learning; rights to be protected from violence and exploitation; rights to live in a safe and clean environment; and rights to have an equitable chance in life.  Key findings include: Child Poverty and Social Protection: An alarming 62% of children are experiencing multidimensional poverty, with significantly higher rates in rural areas (88%) compared to urban areas (41%). The Child Support Grant, however, supports over 13 million children and has been critical in alleviating child poverty.  Health and Nutrition: While South Africa has seen progress in child survival rates, malnutrition and food insecurity persist. Only 21% of children under five receive a minimum acceptable diet, with a 5% prevalence of wasting and 29% of stunting among young children, underscoring urgent nutritional challenges. The increase in the numbers of zero dose children has been seen in all provinces, in both urban and rural areas. Education and Skills Development: The report highlights positive trends in school completion, with lower secondary completion rates reaching 94% in 2021, up from 86% in 2010. Yet disparities remain, as the upper secondary completion rate for Black children stands at 58%, compared to 96% for White children, reflecting ongoing inequalities. Concerningly, in 2016, an estimated 78 percent of Grade 4 learners could not read a text for meaning in any language.  Protection from Violence: The report highlights a significant gap in nationally representative data on violence against children. Among available data, it shows 58 percent of children aged 5-16 experienced direct victimization of sexual abuse and 52 percent experienced indirect victimization. More specifically, 25 percent of children aged 5-16 experienced family violence, 18 percent experienced physical abuse, 13 percent experienced emotional abuse and 12 percent experienced neglect. underscoring the need for stronger violence prevention efforts and child protection mechanisms. In addition, online child violence is highlighted as an emerging risk, based on a 2022 study, 9% of respondent children reported they were offered money or gifts in return for sexual images or videos. Climate and Environment: South Africa ranks as one of the most climate-vulnerable countries. Climate-related risks, including water scarcity and extreme weather events, disproportionately impact impoverished children, affecting health, nutrition, and access to education. It is fitting that the theme for World Children's Day this year is Listen to the Future as this timely Report is a reminder of the need for the world to promote children's right to participation while actively listening to their hopes, dreams, and solutions.  The full report may be downloaded at: https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/press-releases/children-south-africa-today-analysisFor further information, please contact: Sudeshan Reddy, UNICEF South Africa, +27 82 561 3970, sureddy@unicef.org Lungelo Matangira, UNICEF South Africa, +27 83 310 7531, lmatangira@unicef.org About World's Day World Children’s Day takes place each year on 20 November. The day marks the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989. In 2024, World Children's Day calls on adults to listen to the future. By listening to children, we can fulfil their right to self-expression, understand their ideas for a better world and include their priorities in our actions today. About UNICEF UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit www.unicef.org/southafrica Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube , filtered_html