Cynthia McCaffrey, head of UNICEF India calls for creating Child-friendly Cities

By: WE Staff | Monday, 10 July 2023

Cynthia McCaffrey, the head of UNICEF India, has emphasized the importance of creating cities that are accessible, friendly, and safe for children and youth. Children and the entire community should be provided with the benefit of clean air, green spaces, and a secure environment.

On July 7 and 8, as a part of India's G20 presidency, she took part in the Urban 20 (U20) Mayoral Summit in Gujarat's Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad cities, where discussions have been made on the future of global cities.

Cynthia stated that currently, urban areas are home to more than 56 per cent of the population. By 2050, it has been predicted that 2.5 billion more people will live in cities around the world, primarily in Asia and Africa, making these cities home to 70 per cent of the world's population. It is also estimated that by 2050 more than 1.6 billion children will be living in Urban areas.

She continued by mentioning that around 1.4 million people move to urban areas globally and find themselves some temporary or permanent settlements.

India is on the path of making safe cities for children and youth and also involves technologies for them.