Laila Khondkar

While working in Liberia between 2013 and 2014, I had the opportunity, together with my colleagues, to support the government in implementing its deinstitutionalisation policy.

The younger a girl is when she gets married, the lower the dowry. That is why parents arrange child marriages.

Despite progress in some parts of the world, child labour remains a stark reality for millions of children globally.

The widespread social acceptance of corporal punishment indicates how violence has become normalised in child-rearing.

All forms of violence against children are preventable. What has been missing is consistent political will. The newly elected government has the mandate and the moral responsibility to lead.

We need internal reform if we are to create a society that is liveable for all.

The government has declared 43 types of work as hazardous for children—jobs that threaten their physical and mental development.

Daily acts of punishment cause thousands of injuries and deaths among children each year.