Spanish companies do not include children as a stakeholder in their business decisions. The impact of the private sector on children and adolescents goes far beyond consumption: it includes everything from products and advertising to the conditions of their families or what happens in supply chains. It is one of the main conclusions of ‘All companies impact children’, a pioneering study prepared by UNICEF Spain, in collaboration with the Center for Social Innovation and Sustainability of IE University, which analyzes 75 companies from ten key sectors for children: food, consumption, energy, aesthetics, media, health, financial services, technology and gaming, textiles and footwear; and tourism and travel.
Seven out of ten companies analyzed do not take children into account in their business model, despite the impact that their activity has on children and adolescents. Although many companies have made progress in terms of human rights, children are still not present. In some sectors it is taken into account when designing products and services, but they are forgotten in their marketing and advertising campaigns.
It also coincides that, in those sectors that are more regulated or with a more direct relationship with children, such as energy or health, they tend to advance more quickly. When there are clear rules, more demands or a direct relationship with boys and girls, companies react sooner and better.
Integration
The study measures how companies integrate children’s rights through two large areas of analysis. The first, ‘Due diligence’, evaluates how they identify, prevent and manage risks related to children’s rights. The second, ‘Issues and functions’, analyzes how they address the specific risks of their activity, in areas such as child protection, the environment or marketing and communication aimed at boys and girls.
The integration of childhood into policies and management systems is where companies obtain a better score (0.92 out of 2 in the ‘Due Diligence’ indicator), although they are still below the approved mark. The grade drops when studying the application of specific measures related to its activity (0.57 out of 2 in the ‘Issues and functions’ indicator).
By sectors, energy, consumption and health are the best positioned. These sectors are advancing in the integration of rights, but they lack “explicit” or “systematic” practices to protect children. Tourism and travel, gaming and technology and aesthetics register the lowest average scores.
For José María Vera, executive director of UNICEF Spain, “the main challenge is not to create new impact management structures, but to evolve the current ones so that they integrate children’s rights in an explicit, transversal and measurable way.” In this sense, he adds that integrating children into the business model is “indispensable for children as well as an opportunity, especially in a context of growing regulatory demands.”
Measure the impact
Children and adolescents are increasingly exposed to the impact of companies. They are present in your environment and are affected by your products and marketing and communication campaigns.
Tourism and travel, gaming, technology and aesthetics are sectors that register the lowest average scores
Despite this, they are still not generally considered an interest group in business management and there is no consistent measurement of the impact of business decisions, which makes it difficult to identify and manage risks, implement improvements and detect opportunities. Children’s rights are not yet fully integrated into codes of conduct, contractual clauses, audits and supplier evaluations. Beyond child labor, other issues must be addressed such as working conditions for young workers, maternity and paternity protection, health and safety of pregnant workers, decent wages, child care, and the living conditions of provider communities. This pioneering report promotes the path of the Spanish private sector towards more responsible and sustainable business models capable of generating economic value while minimizing their negative impacts on children and enhancing the positive ones.
Recommendations
Finally, the UNICEF study proposes:
- Recognize children as a group of interest,
- Guarantee their protection from all violence,
- Adopt responsible communication policies,
- Guarantee safe digital environments adapted to their age,
- Protect the environment, promoting healthy and safe environments,
- Integrate the meaningful participation of children in business decision-making.
This implies firm commitments and concrete measures to encourage responsible use in the digital environment, design products that contribute to the well-being of children, support constructive messages free of stereotypes, and incorporate children in the measurement of impacts.
The report concludes that all companies, regardless of their nature, impact children to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, in addition to responsibility, companies have a great opportunity to boost competitiveness from a coherent, solid business model with a positive impact on children from their own activity.
