Over five million children aged under 18 in Australia.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, all children are meant to enjoy equal rights to growing up with access to education, healthcare and safety.
However, child advocacy groups believe Australia still has a fair way to go.
It’s been nearly thirty years since Australia signed up to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international agreement that promises to give children the rights to a safe and healthy childhood.
According to the latest five-yearly review by UNICEF, since the last report, Australia has made little progress in ensuring that every child’s rights are protected.
One in six Australian children still live in poverty; while one in seven suffer from a mental health condition.
The 2016 Personal Safety Survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that one in eight people had experienced physical or sexual abuse before the age of 15.
National Children’s Commissioner Megan Mitchell advises children to educate themselves about their rights in order to have a stronger say.
