As the world celebrates Universal Children's Day (UCD) on Friday, Egypt’s National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) launched an initiative to make one more village child-friendly in Upper Egypt's Fayoum, with the aim of supporting children's rights and empowering their families.

The initiative, dubbed "Shakshouk Village, Child Friendly", is part of a broader plan laid out by the council to develop 50 villages across the governorate by raising the awareness of both children and families.

Within its activities to celebrate UCD, the NNCCM launched earlier this year Amany.com (“MySafety.com”); a campaign, in coordination with UNICEF, with the aim of protecting girls and children from online violence, Sahar Al-Sunbati, secretary-general of NCCM, said.

Sunbati added that another campaign named "Positive Education" is set to be launched shortly to cover Egyptian rural districts.

Universal Children's Day, first established in 1954, is observed to shed light on the suffering and loss of many children’s rights at the international level.

In the aftermath of World War II, the plight of children in Europe was dire, which prompted the UN to provide food, clothing, and health care for these children.

In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the UN. Today, UNICEF works in 190 countries, with significant efforts being made to reach the most vulnerable and excluded children.