8 July 2021
Queen Mathilde participated in an online discussion on the impact of violence on the mental health of children, along with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore and WHO leader Tedros Ghebreyesus.
The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated lives, communities and entire economies. As the progression of the virus shows signs of abatement, we know that we still have a long way to go. The pandemic has also laid bare the inequalities and fragilities of our societies. It has disproportionately hurt the weakest.
Families, communities, societies are meant to provide for, guide and protect their children and their youth. During the pandemic, however, many children and young people found themselves in the frontline. Because of the lockdown, they have been hit by poverty, deprived of protection, schooling and contacts with their peers. Often they have been forced into work, into sexual exploitation, into criminal activities or into early marriages. Domestic violence, online abuse, and mental health issues were already rampant. They have dramatically increased during the pandemic.
The United Nations system raised the alarm very early on. No one today should pretend they are unaware: we have a widespread societal problem on our hands and a challenge of vast proportions to tackle.
As we move ahead, let us also listen to the children’s voices. Let us pay attention to the power of their resilience. Let us, for once, look at the world from their perspective. The world that we adults have built for them. A world that should have been protective and safe for everyone. Let us ask ourselves where we have failed to deliver on these promises and how we can rectify the situation."
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