About: children

The nightmare before Christmas: Cybersecurity risks for children’s toys

The lack of a legal framework to protect children's toys against cybersecurity risks could prove to have damaging consequences, a leading European consumer rights group has warned ahead of the Christmas festivities, advising parents that some of those toys should not even be kept at home.

Everyone gains from investing in the health and gender equality of women and children

Five million women and children die every year from entirely preventable causes. The Global Financing Facility (GFF) supports the 50 countries with the greatest needs by investing in their health systems but that is not enough, writes Mariam Claeson.

A place for children in the EU’s budget

Last week, the Commission announced a budget that ‘’protects, empowers and defends’’. But who exactly are we protecting empowering and defending? Not Europe’s children nor their counterparts in the developing world. Children are not even mentioned in this proposal.

10 reasons why the EU has been good for children

Whatever decisions the EU makes about its future at the Rome summit and beyond, it should recognise the improvements to the lives of children as one if its great achievements and make this a foundation for future action, writes Jana Hainsworth.

Is it time to extend maternity leave across Europe?

The rights of pregnant women and new mothers in the workplace need to be protected in a way that ensures the health of the both mother and child, while not damaging the woman’s career prospects or harming business, write Lucy Strang and Miriam Broeks.

ECJ decision triggers crisis of social protection system in UK

The EU has spent years building a safety net for the most vulnerable children in society, but the UK’s decision to cut child benefits may not save any money, but could lead the whole system to unravel, writes Jana Hainsworth.

The EU at World Humanitarian Summit: What’s in it for children?

There are currently 125 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, writes Justin Byworth.

What can the EU do at the World Humanitarian Summit for children?

The World Humanitarian Summit takes places in Istanbul on 23-24 May. With the EU as one of the world's largest humanitarian donors, it can be a real 'game-changer', writes Marco Nardin.

Europe of tomorrow will inherit the children of today

On Universal Children's Day, Jana Hainsworth argues that EU policy must keep children at its heart, from ending child poverty in the EU to dealing with the migrant crisis.  

Illiteracy will cost global economy $1.2tn in 2015

Illiteracy is “a worldwide crisis” that will cost the global economy $1.2tn (£760bn) this year, the World Literacy Foundation (WLF) has warned. More than 796 million people are either completely illiterate, meaning they can’t read or write, or functionally illiterate, meaning they can’t perform basic tasks such as reading a medicine label, the WLF said in a report released on Monday (pdf).

What world leaders can do in September to improve the lives of the poorest

When world leaders meet in September to adopt a set of Sustainable Development Goals, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will make a strong case that health goals should be a top priority, writes Bill Gates.

Malala to world leaders: ‘Do better’ in 2015

2015 must be the year the world wakes up and delivers a safer, more just future for children and young people, writes Malala Yousafzai in a letter to world leaders.

German government introduces new measures tackling ‘poverty migration’

The German government tabled a final report on Wednesday (27 August) addressing "legal issues and challenges” related to social benefits claims by EU immigrants, with Bavarian conservatives welcoming the “correct approach” and Social Democrats shaking their heads at the new measure. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Ending child institutionalisation in Europe

The EU has spent hundreds of millions of euros aimed at improving the lives of children in programmes that ended up locking them up in dysfunctional state institutions, writes Georgette Mulheir.

EU merges milk and fruit school scheme to combat child obesity

To promote healthier lifestyles and combat obesity among school children, the European Commission has proposed to bring two separate EU schemes on milk and fruit together under a joint framework.

Doctors say thousands of Greek children unvaccinated

Greece is very close to 'tearing down the vaccination barrier', according to the humanitarian group Doctors of the World.

Defeating online porn and bullying through education

Education is essential to confront online pornography and the cyberbullying of children, says Agnes Uhereczky.

Why Europe needs an EU Anti-Bullying Day

We need an EU Anti-Bullying Day to become a symbolic milestone in our efforts and to remind to all Europeans that bullying and cyberbullying is a problem with no borders, no specific technological or platform connection, no easy solutions, write MEPs Phil Prendergast and Seán Kelly.

Parliament wants stricter rules on food for vulnerable groups

The European Parliament yesterday (11 June) adopted new rules on the labelling and content of baby milks and foods for special medical purposes. These will in the future be better defined in order to protect consumers.

More internet regulation won’t make children safer online: EU official

Child safety online is listed as one of the main priorities in the Digital Agenda for Europe, but censorship on the internet isn't the way forward, a top European Commission official said.

Should teachers bring ICT into the classroom?

Education experts and lawmakers gathered this week in Brussels at the invitation of US software giant Microsoft to debate the role that information and communication technologies (ICT) should play in education.