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KATHMANDU, Nov 21: UNICEF, in partnership with the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and the Embassy of Australia, marked World Children’s Day 2025 on Thursday with a cricket event at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, highlighting child rights, gender equality and the role of sports in social change, UNICEF said in a press release.
World Children’s Day, observed globally on 20 November, commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and calls for stronger action to ensure children’s rights to education, protection and participation.
The press release further stated that this year’s celebration was held under the joint initiative “Leveling the Playing Field”, a collaboration aimed at using cricket to promote equal opportunities for girls and boys and support adolescent girls to stay in school, access services and participate fully in society.
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More than 300 children joined the event, which also featured a friendly cricket match with Nepal’s national women’s cricket team. The programme aimed to draw attention to challenges such as child marriage, early pregnancy, limited access to education and barriers faced by girls.
“All we ask is a fair chance. Let girls learn, choose and lead,” the press release quoted 13-year-old participant Manushka Rana Magar as saying.
Likewise, Minister for Youth and Sports Bablu Gupta, the chief guest, expressed appreciation for efforts to engage and empower young people. Representatives from CAN, the Australian Embassy and UNICEF underscored the importance of investing in adolescent girls and using sports to build confidence, leadership and equal opportunities.
The statement further reads: Nepal has more than three million adolescent girls, but one in three is married before 18, and over 15 percent eligible for upper secondary school are out of the education system.
UNICEF Representative to Nepal Alice Akunga thanked partners for advancing children’s rights and called on young people to continue raising their voices. UNICEF also launched a global U-Report poll inviting children and youth to share their views on issues affecting them.
