Education

The demands of a growing global economy require an increasingly skilled workforce – one that is computer literate, can handle data, can apply critical analysis and is creative. At the same time, progress in education has stalled and the quality of education varies widely, resulting in many children leaving primary school without basic reading, writing and math skills, let alone ICT and critical thinking skills. Providing all our children, and especially girls, with the high-quality education they will need to succeed is one of the greatest challenges we face.

A growing number of businesses are investing in long-term educational partnerships with civil society and governments, realising the mutual benefit for business and society of life-long learning, starting with the youngest.

External Publication
Children’s rights and business Interview Steve Howard- IKEA

International furniture giant IKEA has been at the forefront of corporate work on human rights and sustainability for decades. Since the early 1990s, IKEA has been working with Save the Children on a range of projects addressing education for children, children in emergencies, and protection of children from child labour. Steve Howard is the Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Group. Children’s rights and business videos

External Publication
Children’s Rights: The ultimate definition of sustainability

Children’s rights are an essential investment in a sustainable future. Safeguarding these rights helps build the strong, well-educated communities that are vital to creating stable, inclusive and productive societies. The private sector impacts children’s lives both directly and indirectly, and all companies in all industries – global, regional or local – can make a difference. Business activity influences the daily life of children in a number of ways, from impoverished communities where children are held back from getting an education because they need to support the family with their income, to the marketplace where children react to marketing messages and learn about the world via the many products surrounding them. Companies that want to take part in the movement pushing sustainable development forward, creating the world that we together have formulated in the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030, need to safeguard, empower and consider the opinions of those we should be creating that world together with. Considering children’s rights holds the possibility of enriching your business and easing your way into the challenges of the future. Read these statements from companies and businesses that have incorporated a child rights approach into their work. 

External Publication
Child Labour and UNICEF in Action: Children at the Centre

This publication presents UNICEF’s stance and approach to child labour. While upholding the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF and its partners work to strengthen legal and policy frameworks, enhance government and community-based structures and services, and engage with communities to promote positive social change. To achieve positive results, promoting understanding through research of the underlying causes of child labour and addressing their interconnectedness is key to UNICEF’s approach to response and prevention.

External Publication
You, your rights & business. A resource for young people and children about children’s rights and business principles

What are your rights? What is Business? What should business be doing to respect your rights? The answers to these questions and much more can be found in the pages you are about to read. This booklet, developed by Save the Children, is a practical guide to help children and young people everywhere understand that they have rights. Not only at school, at home, in the community, in the workplace, but – everywhere! We also want to share important information about ‘Children’s Rights and Business Principles', a set of ‘rules’ that every business should follow to ensure children’s rights are respected and supported. These 10 Children's Rights and Business Principles are explained in the book in a simple and easy-to-read way. We invite children and young people everywhere to read more about their rights and business and to share this book with family and friends.

External Publication
How business affects us: Children and young people share their perspectives on how business impacts their lives and communities

This document summarizes inputs received from over 400 young people aged 7-17 in nine countries: Brazil, Argentina, Philippines, Zambia, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Senegal, Paraguay and Peru. These young people participated in consultations to discuss the Children’s Rights and Business Principles Initiative. They explored: what is business; how does business affect our lives and rights; what role does business have to protect our rights; and more. They also reviewed a draft of the Children’s Rights and Business Principles and gave their detailed recommendations.