200 Million ASEAN Children Face Violence Threat, Protection Urged

More than 200 million children under 18 in the ASEAN region are vulnerable to various forms of physical and online violence, necessitating robust protection measures. This figure represents approximately 30 percent of the total population across ASEAN member states, according to Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

Shukri stressed that every child is entitled to equal rights regarding protection, development, survival, and meaningful participation. Policies and decisions concerning children must prioritize their best interests. The theme "Protect ASEAN Children: Reject Violence" serves as a collective call to action, aiming to foster safe, inclusive, and empowering environments for children to reach their full potential.

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The theme Protect ASEAN Children: Reject Violence is not just a slogan, but a call for joint action to ensure every child grows up in a safe, inclusive, and empowering environment.

The 9th ASEAN Children's Forum (ACF) in Putrajaya was highlighted as a crucial platform for directly hearing children's perspectives. Shukri noted that their lived experiences offer invaluable insights into the challenges they face, insights that statistics alone cannot fully capture. She emphasized that children are not merely future leaders but active partners in ASEAN today, capable of shaping more effective protection policies.

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Children are not just future leaders, but ASEAN partners today who can help shape more effective policies regarding their protection.

Measuring ASEAN's future success should extend beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or digital economic sophistication. Instead, it should be gauged by the safety, well-being, and happiness of every child in the region. The challenges to child safety are increasingly complex, with violence extending beyond physical abuse into the digital realm through cyberbullying, online exploitation, and new forms of abuse.

In response, ASEAN member states are finalizing a Regional Action Plan on the Elimination of Violence Against Children 2026-2035. This plan is expected to be endorsed by ASEAN leaders at the 49th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines, signaling a unified commitment to addressing this critical issue.

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ASEAN's future success should not be measured solely by GDP growth or digital economic sophistication, but by the level of safety, well-being, and happiness of every child in the region.