All children have a right to a childhood, to be free from hunger and want, neglect and abuse. Unfortunately, for millions of children this is not the case. In every country, every culture and at every social level, children face mistreatment, exploitation and violence.

These children find themselves in horrible circumstances like forced labour, being mistreated or exploited by strangers, by people close to them, their peers, authorities or people they trust who should be protecting them. What’s worse is that the most vulnerable amongst them don’t have a voice to express the turmoil they experience as a result of this abuse, let alone to change their circumstances. Culturally entrenched gender discrimination can mean that girls are particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

This abuse can occur due to a lack of services and community support, long standing cultural traditions, economic factors such as poverty,or lack of awareness of those around them. Sadly, this may mean that the abuse can continue unchecked. Even in Australia where well-established structures for child protection exist, many children still fall through the cracks.

So whose responsibility is it to protect these children?

How do we put effective systems and programs in place to protect and assist children, particularly the most vulnerable ones? And how do we increase their worth in countries where children are given little importance and are often seen as commodities?

How do we protect children, who are the most vulnerable amongst us all?