On July 7, Blagomay Charitable Fund presented the results of the nationwide sociological study “Observance of Children’s Rights”, conducted jointly with the sociological company Active Group.

The event brought together representatives of the public sector, civil society organizations, business, the expert community, and everyone working on the protection of children’s rights in Ukraine. During the meeting, the Fund’s team presented the key findings of the study, shared its methodology and implementation stages, and emphasized the importance of analyzing the observance of children’s rights amid the full-scale war.

The study showed that most Ukrainian children know about their rights and understand where they can turn if those rights are violated. At the same time, in practice, children do not always use these mechanisms. Among the main barriers are fear, shame, distrust in the system, concerns about the reaction of adults or peers, and the fear of making the situation even worse.

Special attention during the presentation was paid to the impact of the war on the realization of children’s rights. According to the study, Ukrainian parents today assess the observance of children’s rights primarily through the lens of safety. In addition, 67% of parents said they are concerned about the psychological state of their children.

The event also featured a panel discussion titled “Children’s Rights in Ukraine: Problems, Opportunities, and Challenges”. The discussion included Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor and Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Child Rehabilitation, CEO of the NGO “Vidchui”; Oksana Cherviakova, Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Children’s Rights; Kostiantyn Holubiatnikov, Chairman of the Board and Co-founder of Blagomay Charitable Fund; Nataliia Lytvynova, Advisor on the Development of Integrated Social Services for Families with Children at SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine; and Oleksandra Hvozdyk, Communications Expert at the Office for Children and Youth “DiiMO”.

During the discussion, participants spoke about how to strengthen the system for protecting children’s rights in Ukraine, why children may find it difficult to seek help, how to build trust between children, families, schools, and institutions, and what role the state, civil society sector, business, and parent communities can play in this process.

“When we talk about children’s rights, it is important not only to know them, but also to be confident that a child will be heard, supported, and protected. The results of the study show that trust is a key element of effective protection of children’s rights today - trust in the system, in institutions, and in adults,” said Kostiantyn Holubiatnikov, Chairman of the Board and Co-founder of Blagomay Charitable Fund.

The Fund will use the results of the study in its future educational, advocacy, and communication initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of children’s rights, promoting accessible support mechanisms, and strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation.

The study was implemented by Blagomay Charitable Fund jointly with the sociological company Active Group, with the financial support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and under the coordination of Help - Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe and the Help Localization Program.

Link to the full study: https://online.fliphtml5.com/blagomay/xltl/#p=1