Good News Stories for Kids in 2023

Rohingya children living in a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh enjoy a lighter moment. © UNHCR-Vincent Tremeau

In our last newsletter of the year, we’re taking an opportunity to look back at some of the positive stories that didn’t always make the headlines. Conflict and human rights crises rage in multiple corners of the world, but there were bright spots in 2023 – particularly for children’s rights.

Each year, HRW’s Jo Becker highlights 10 good news stories for kids. Here are a few from this year.

• For the first time, Rohingya children of all ages in refugee camps in Bangladesh were able to receive a formal education, with a record 300,000 students enrolled.

• Three more US states – Connecticut, Vermont, and Michigan – banned child marriage. Ten total states now ban all marriage for boys and girls under 18-years-old.

• Girls in Mexico gained greater access to abortion.

• Australia and Guyana endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, bringing the total to 118 countries that have committed to protect schools, teachers, and students during armed conflict. We’ve recently reported on the urgency of safe schools in Ukraine and Cameroon, for instance.

There’s a lot that still needs to be done for children around the world. In 2024, governments should step up and do more to protect kids in all countries.

We’ve also just published our list of the Top 10 (or 11) most-read stories on our website this year. Find that here.

Thanks for reading The Week in Rights this year and we’ll be back in January! – Human Rights Watch