Issue: Lack of Children Participation

Overview:

Participation refers to activities where the involvement of children themselves is regarded as a ‘value’ to emphasis in fulfillment of the rights of the child. The participation of children means, in general, their right to play an active role in their own live and the life of their communities while having their voices heard by the society in taking decisions that affect their lives. Thus, through those activities, the children will enjoy opportunities to express themselves, take part in planning and implementation of activities meant for them, and thus grow as active members of the society. The Government of Bangladesh and other agencies have developed a plan to address the issue of child participation and those efforts are scattered and like to drop of water in the sea. Collective and comprehensive measures should be undertaken as early as possible otherwise late repentance would result watering in the desert.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is one of the most important factors behind this shift, for the CRC clearly recognizes the child as a holder of rights. Rather than seeing children as mere recipients of adults’ care and protection, children and young people are recognized as actors in their own lives, as individuals whose views and opinions should be expressed and taken seriously. Children’s participation is identified as a core principle of the CRC. While talking children’s age and maturity into consideration, Article 12 of the CRC clearly establishes children’s right to be involved in decisions that affect them. Save the Children Alliance members and their partners lay great emphasis on children’s participation rights (Article 5, 12-15, 17, 23, and 29) for all children, irrespective of gender, age, dis ability/rural/urban/class/ caste/ ethnicity and/or religion.

Why we promote children's participation:

Participation itself is Children's Rights

Participation Leads to Increased Fulfillment of other Rights

Children and Young People as Citizens Create a Better Developed Civil Society and Democracy

Children's Participation Enhances Child Development

Children are Social Actors and have their Own Perspectives

Children's Participation Increases the Effectiveness of Programmes, Improving Children's Lives

The Current Situation of Children's Participation:

Compared to the rights to protection, survival & development, children's participation and citizenship right is more controversial and less recognized, even though all countries in the region have signed the CRC.

Children and young people's participation rests on a rights-based ideology and can be challenging to organizations working from a 'welfare model'

The practice of children and young people's participation and citizenship rights has not been established as a small but growing movement. This principle has, however, not yet been formalized in any legislation in South and Central Asia

While children and young people are increasingly making autonomous decisions amongst themselves and with their peers, in most contexts adults still define the conditions, norms and scope of children and young people's participation.

Creating enabling environment for meaningful participation:

To create a good environment for meaningful participation we have learned that it is useful to:

Explore existing practices in local culture and religion that support the idea of listening to children and young people while understanding and respecting all aspects of local culture.

Engage, sensitize and prepare parents, teachers, elders and other community members on the values of children's participation and citizenship.

Encourage children and young people and adults to explore and recognize the child-friendly values of their local culture and tradition.

Develop staff capacity to facilitate children's participation.

Share and build upon positive examples of children's participation and citizenship.

Seek agreement and support with governments through regular dialogue on children and young people's participation.

Build capacity of children, young people and adults at various levels to enable children and young people's participation as well as an effective response to issues children raise.

Organizations promoting children and young people's participation need to work on democratic principles to empower their own workforce.

Proactively work with civil society as a whole to promote children and young people's participation and citizenship rights.

Enable inclusive processes for children's participation and children's organizations.

Enable regular reflection, development and use of guidelines by children, young people and adults to ensure ethical practices.

Promote networking at different levels between organizations (children and adults) to share information and learning, and to develop common advocacy initiatives.

Children's participation in governance :

Increasing focus is being given in this region to children's participation in local governance. Such participation aims to influence decisions, thereby contributing to positive outcomes for children. In most cases, this has developed out of a longer process of empowering children and young people in community contexts (child Brigade, child parishad, child Congress, child parliament, child clubs, CCVDs, Child unions). Boys and girls are actively demanding effective delivery of basic services like education, health, water and sanitation childcare services and basic infrastructure. Learning from children's engagement in local governance is an area for Save the Children to build upon to promote it further.

Children's Participation in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:

Recognition of children as subjects of rights is expressed, explicitly or implicitly, in many of the Convention's articles.

Article 5: parental provision of direction and guidance in accordance with respect for children's evolving capacity;

Article 9: non-separation of children from families without the right to make their views known;

Article 13: the right to freedom of expression;

Article 14: the right to freedom of conscience, thought and religion;

Article 15: the right to freedom of association;

Article 16: the right to privacy;

Article 17: the right to information; and

Article 29: the right to education that promotes respect for human rights and democracy.

However, Article 12 - one of the CRC's general principles - articulates the real essence of the idea of children's participation. It affirms the right of children and young people to express their views freely in matters affecting them and states that their views should be given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity. Children should therefore be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceeding affecting them, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law. BSAF as an apex body; it can play an active role on this issue.