SCFO Marks Emirati Children’s Day With A Competition On The ‘Right To Play’

To raise public awareness on children’s right to play, the Sharjah Child Friendly Office (SCFO), an affiliate of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) in Sharjah, has launched the ‘Children’s right to play’ campaign on social media, coinciding with Emirati Children’s Day observed annually on March 15.

The UAE is marking the occasion under the theme ‘right to play’ to educate members of community on the importance of play for children, as dictated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and in alignment with the country’s Child Rights Law (Wadeema).

SCFO’s competition is aimed at encouraging children to share their understanding and experience of playing through posting creative original videos on social media. SCFO will accept submissions until the end of March, and winners will receive valuable prizes.

To be eligible for the competition, participants need to provide parental consent, record a 30-second video and share it on TikTokusing the official hashtags for the Emirati Children’s Day, and follow @sharjahchildfriendly on social media platforms.

SCFO had previously organised a meeting that brought together 50 individuals representing 35 entities and departments in Sharjah to coordinate their Emirati Children’s Day celebrations by highlighting Sharjah’s child- and youth-friendly elements through unified messaging and content, which will be posted on social media platforms.

Dr HessaKhalfan Al Ghazal, Executive Director of SCFO, said: “Child rights are indivisible; children cannot be given some of their rights and be deprived of others. Play is a fundamental right that every child should enjoy, as it is vital to both psychological and physical development. It is also key to discovering and unleashing talents and capabilities and gaining essential life skills.”

Highlighting Sharjah’s achievements relating to child rights, Dr Al Ghazal said: “In 2018, the emirate received the prestigious Child Friendly Citytitle by UNICEF, after meeting all the requirements of its global Child Friendly Cities Initiative. These achievements drive us to continue to develop children’s rights practices and ensure their sustainability. On Emirati Children’s Day, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing the standard of child rights across Sharjah and the UAE.”

SCFO launched their awareness campaign through a promotional video, which depicts children in prominent destinations and child-friendly spots in Sharjah. The video highlights the importance of playing and the participation of parents and family members to safeguard children’s right to play.