2025 has been a difficult year for children around the world. But amidst the chaos of conflict and climate emergencies, there is so much hope. Positive change has occurred this year - and lots of it too.
From a ban on child marriage to disease-reducing mosquitos, here are just 10 good things that happened for children in 2025:
1. Bolivia bans child marriage
Bolivia became the 14th country in Latin America to ban child marriage after girls across the country and Save the Children joined a campaign to criminalise the practice.
Before the law was passed in September, more than one in five girls were forced into unions before the age of 18, according to official data, and about 3% were married before the age of 15.
The approval of this law marks a new reality for over 4 million children across Bolivia – half of whom are girls - and represents a fundamental victory in the fight for the rights of children.
2. 450,000 children to be lifted out of poverty in UK after two-child benefit cap scrapped
The two-child benefit cap will end in 2026, meaning that parents on low incomes in the UK can claim benefits for all of their children, not just the first two. Ending the restriction, which has been in effect since 2017, will lift 450,000 children out of poverty.
The announcement sends a clear signal that all our children's lives are valued regardless of the circumstances of their birth and that the UK Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life. This win came after years of hard campaigning by Save the Children, inspiring families and many others.
3. Historic court ruling acknowledges impacts of climate change on children’s rights
In a landmark win for children, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) acknowledged the adverse impacts of climate change on child rights, and offered children renewed hope.
The Advisory Opinion - delivered by the world’s highest court - found that states’ legal obligations to address climate change extend beyond existing climate agreements.
Research released this year by Save the Children with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) found that the difference between global temperature rise of 1.5°C and 2.7°C could see 38 million more children from the 2020 birth cohort face unprecedented lifetime exposure to extreme heatwaves. The historic ruling gives renewed hope that more will be done to prevent climate change and protect children from its impacts.
4. Corporal punishment is banned in Thailand
Thailand became the 68th country to ban the use of corporal punishment, a practice still widely accepted at home and in school, reflecting deeply rooted cultural attitudes.
Three in four children aged 1-14 in Thailand have experienced some form of corporal punishment. The new law bans the use of all types of violent discipline or corporal punishment in schools, homes, residential care facilities, juvenile protection and training centres, and daycare centres.
5. Children in Somalia have greater legal protections
Children across Somalia will have greater legal protections for themselves and their rights, including access to health and education, after Somalia’s federal parliament ratified Africa’s only regional charter on the rights of the child.
After decades of conflict in Somalia, cases of grave violations of children remain rampant including sexual assault, abductions, and recruitment into armed groups.
With the charter’s strong calls for child participation and elimination of harmful cultural practices, Somalia will be required to take all necessary steps to advance legal protections for children and allocate adequate resources for enforcement.
6. 40 Tonnes of medical aid reached Sudan, destined for children and families
A cargo plane carrying 40 metric tonnes of medical supplies landed in Port Sudan in November, with essential drugs, medical equipment and therapeutic food to treat children in Sudan. The delivery from Nairobi was the largest aid consignment by an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) since March 2025, and the supplies are now being taken by road to reach children and families in the hardest-to-access areas across Sudan, including in Tawila, North Darfur.
The consignment – which includes essential drugs such as antibiotics to treat respiratory infections, fluids, and treatment for malnutrition - is enough to keep hundreds of health facilities running for 6-12 months, allowing hundreds of thousands of children to be treated.
7. Preventing child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation in Ethiopia
Save the Children and its partners have helped prevent 211 child marriages and 416 cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Ethiopia since 2020.
Girls and boys in part of Ethiopia’s Somali region have played a part in reducing cases of FGM in their community by advocating for change and children’s rights through a Save the Children Child Club. There’s also been a decline in child marriage in the community, with more girls now staying in school and pursuing their education.
The girls use theatre and street drama to raise awareness of girls’ rights, as well as visiting communities, religious leaders and women who have practiced FGM to educate them about the negative impacts for both boys and girls.
8. Save the Children able to respond more swiftly to disasters after getting WHO recognition
Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit (EHU) has become the first NGO maternal and baby specialist Emergency Medical Team to be verified by the World Health Organisation, meaning it can be deployed to health emergencies in countries across the globe.
The EHU has reached over five million people and trained 18,000 health workers. The teams - comprising doctors, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, paramedics, logistics personnel and water and sanitation specialists - are trained to respond rapidly and provide comprehensive support to local health systems.
Receiving the WHO certification is recognition of the specialist care needed by women and babies when disasters strike. It reinforces our ability to act swiftly in crises and provide essential care to women and newborns who would otherwise be left without support.
9. Disease-reducing mosquitoes in Laos aim to cut dengue cases
More than 130 million disease-reducing mosquitoes are being released in Laos, after cases of dengue hit a record high globally in 2024 at over 14.4 million, more than double the previous record of 2023, with children at greater risk of severe dengue illness.
The project rears mosquitoes which carry a naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia, which reduces the insect’s ability to transmit deadly viruses to people, decreasing the risk of dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever outbreaks. When Wolbachia mosquitoes are released, they breed with wild mosquitoes until, over several generations, they replace the local mosquito population.
Wolbachia mosquitoes have already shown remarkable success in combating dengue in cities around the world, from Brazil to Indonesia.
10. Trained volunteers on bicycles help mothers deliver safely in rural Zambia
Trained community-based volunteers in rural Zambia are getting on bicycles to help identify and refer mothers for pre and post-natal care in areas where women often have to travel long distances to reach healthcare.
In partnership with the Zambian Ministry of health, some 140 volunteers have been trained to use bicycles to travel into remote communities, identifying mothers and babies in their homes who might need extra care, and providing them with information and referrals when needed. In 2025, the team referred 403 pregnant women for prenatal care, enabled 269 mothers to give birth safely in health facilities, and supported 259 mothers to receive postnatal care.
Positive change is possible
Despite everything that's happened this year, we've been there to give help and hope to children who need it. These 10 things are proof that change is possible, no matter what is going on in the world.
And we couldn't do any of this without our community of wonderful supporters who choose to stand with children when it feels like there's no hope left.
