Quiz of the Day
Children's Rights
Thursday, 4 June 2026
International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression — children's rights, UNICEF, youth movements
1. The International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression was established by the UN in which year?
- 1982
- 1975
- 1990
- 2000
The day was established on 19 August 1982 during an emergency session on the Palestine question. It has since broadened to highlight the suffering of all children who are victims of physical, mental, and emotional abuse worldwide.
2. What year was UNICEF founded?
- 1960
- 1939
- 1953
- 1946
UNICEF was originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, created to help children in post-war Europe and China. Though its name was shortened, the acronym UNICEF was kept because it was already so well known.
3. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights treaty. How many countries have ratified it?
- 150
- 170
- 190
- 196
Every UN member state has ratified the Convention except one — the United States. The US signed it in 1995 but never ratified it, citing concerns about national sovereignty and parental rights versus government obligations.
4. Who is Malala Yousafzai?
- A UNICEF ambassador from India
- A children's author from Afghanistan
- A Pakistani activist for girls' education who survived being shot by the Taliban
- The first female Secretary-General of the UN
Malala was just 15 when she was shot on a school bus in 2012. At age 17, she became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She graduated from Oxford University in 2020 and continues her advocacy through the Malala Fund.
5. What does the 'right to play' mean in the context of children's rights?
- Play and recreation are recognised as essential for child development under international law
- Children can play video games freely
- Children choose their own sports
- Schools must have recess
Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child enshrines the right to rest, leisure, and play. Research shows that play develops problem-solving skills, creativity, and emotional resilience — it is not a luxury but a necessity.
6. Approximately how many children worldwide are engaged in child labour?
- About 40 million
- About 160 million
- About 250 million
- About 80 million
That figure equals roughly 1 in 10 children globally. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest proportion. Shockingly, after decades of decline, child labour numbers actually increased between 2016 and 2020 for the first time in 20 years.
7. What was the Children's March of 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama?
- A civil rights march where over 1,000 students marched against segregation
- A protest against child labour
- A march demanding better schools
- A parade celebrating children's rights
Children as young as 6 joined the march. Police Commissioner Bull Connor ordered fire hoses and police dogs to be used against them, and over 600 children were arrested. The shocking images helped turn public opinion and led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
8. What is the minimum age for recruitment into armed forces under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child?
- 16
- 14
- 15
- 18
Despite this, an estimated 250,000 children are still used as soldiers worldwide. Some are recruited as young as 8, used not only as combatants but as cooks, spies, and messengers. Rehabilitation programmes are critical for their recovery.
9. Which youth-led movement, started by Greta Thunberg in 2018, saw millions of children strike from school?
- Youth for Climate
- Sunrise Movement
- Fridays for Future
- Extinction Rebellion Youth
Thunberg was 15 when she sat alone outside the Swedish Parliament with a sign reading 'School Strike for Climate.' Within a year, an estimated 4 million people joined strikes in 161 countries in what became the largest climate demonstration in history.
10. What does UNICEF's 'Child Friendly Cities Initiative' promote?
- Making cities actively implement children's rights in local governance
- Banning cars near schools
- Building more playgrounds
- Free public transport for children
Launched in 1996, the initiative now spans over 3,000 cities and communities in 40 countries. It pushes for children to participate in decision-making, from urban planning to budgeting — giving kids a real say in how their communities are run.
11. The Kindertransport was a rescue effort that saved nearly 10,000 children from which threat?
- The Spanish Civil War
- The Russian Revolution
- Nazi persecution before World War II
- The Irish Famine
Between 1938 and 1940, Britain took in around 10,000 mostly Jewish children from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. Most never saw their parents again. Many of the children went on to make extraordinary contributions to British society.
12. What percentage of the world's population is under 18?
- About 42%
- About 35%
- About 15%
- About 26%
That is roughly 2.2 billion children. In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly half the population is under 18. Globally, children are disproportionately affected by poverty — they make up a third of the population but nearly half of those living in extreme poverty.
13. Iqbal Masih was a Pakistani boy who became famous for campaigning against what?
- Bonded child labour
- Lack of education
- Child marriage
- Child soldiers
Iqbal was sold into bonded labour at a carpet factory at age 4 for a debt of $12. He escaped at 10 and helped free over 3,000 children from slavery. Tragically, he was murdered in 1995 at just 12 years old. He received the World's Children's Prize posthumously.
14. What is the 'best interests of the child' principle?
- Schools decide children's futures
- Children should always get what they want
- Parents always know what is best
- A legal principle that the child's wellbeing must be a primary consideration in all decisions affecting them
Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child established this as a guiding principle. It is applied in family courts, immigration decisions, and public policy — though what constitutes a child's 'best interests' is often debated.
15. Which country was the first to appoint an Ombudsman for Children?
- Finland
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Norway
Norway created the role in 1981, giving children an independent champion within government. The idea spread worldwide — over 70 countries now have some form of children's ombudsman or commissioner to advocate for children's rights and investigate complaints.