Why Are Animal & Child Welfare Causes Sidelined?

With so much focus on other social issues, why do vulnerable children and animals remain an afterthought?

Image of kids and animals playing, but sadly unheard by others.

Introduction: The Forgotten Vulnerable

In discussions about social justice, equity, and human rights, issues like racial discrimination, gender equality, and climate change dominate headlines. But two of society’s most vulnerable groups, children and animals, are often overlooked.

Despite their lack of agency and their dependence on human protection, policies surrounding child welfare and animal rights remain underfunded, underenforced, and widely ignored in political and corporate agendas.

Yet the statistics reveal a crisis:

· In 2023, 1 in 5 children in the European Union was at risk of poverty or social exclusion (Eurostat, 2023).

· In France, over 310,000 children are placed in the child welfare system (ASE), yet 60% face extreme hardship once they leave (INSEE, 2023).

· The global pet abandonment rate surged by 35% post-pandemic, with shelters overwhelmed and animals left on the streets (World Animal Protection, 2023).

· Factory farming abuses continue, with 75% of the world’s farmed animals living in inhumane conditions (FAO, 2023).