The role of associations in raising awareness about children's rights around the world
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Children's rights are universal, but too often violated. Numerous associations are working to ensure that they are respected around the world. Their mission? Raise awareness, advocate and take action to protect and promote them. Let's discover together the undeniable impact of their actions, their successes and their challenges in this fight essential to the happiness of children.
What are children's rights?
Children's rights refer to a set of norms and principles established to ensure their well-being, protection and optimal development, without discrimination. They apply to anyone under the age of 18, unless otherwise provided by local law. In addition to the general rights that apply to all, children benefit from specific rights adapted to their needs. They take into account their vulnerability and their need for development.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), adopted in 1989, is the main international instrument that establishes the fundamental rights of children. With the signing of 193 nations, it is the most widely ratified international treaty. It recognizes that every child has the right to health, education, protection from violence, freedom of expression, non-discrimination and participation in decision-making concerning them.
Children's rights also includeThe right to a safe and loving family environment, the right to an identity, including nationality and birth registration, the right to protection against economic exploitation, child labor, trafficking and other types of abuse. They also incorporate the right to play, to rest and to participate in cultural and recreational activities.
Children's rights therefore aim to ensure that every child has the conditions necessary to thrive and fulfil their potential, while being protected from all forms of violence, neglect and exploitation. They should be able to enjoy their childhood carefree.
Did you know that? Only the United States and Somalia have not ratified the International Convention on Children's Rights. For the first, the Senate did not want one, because it prohibits death sentences following a crime committed by a child under 18... France is the 2E countries in Europe to have signed it after Sweden.
Raising awareness about children's rights
While states are monitored in their application of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child by a Geneva-based Committee on the Rights of the Child, there is still a lot of work to be done to raise public awareness on the ground. Through powerful media campaigns and online initiatives, associations transmit crucial information about children's rights and the challenges they face.
We can cite the particularly effective campaigns that Amnesty International, UNICEF, or Save the Children have been spreading in all countries for decades.
The associations also offer educational programs in schools to inform children and young people about their rights and know when they are being violated and how to react. These programs may include workshops, seminars, training sessions, and educational resources.
If associations talk to children about their rights, they must also train their parents. To do this, they can for example set up positive parenting training programs. These strengthen parents' communication, problem solving, and behavior management skills, while focusing on respecting children's rights.
We can cite the awareness-raising work of:
- The organization Rwanda Women Network (RWN), which carries out counseling programs for parents in rural areas in order to promote children's rights. She places particular emphasis on girls' education and protection against violence.
- The association Child Rights and YOU (CRY) in India, which informs groups of parents in urban and rural communities in India about the importance of children's rights, by organizing workshops, seminars and awareness-raising campaigns.
- In Europe, for example, there is the association Eurochild who works on children's issues.
Giving children a voice
Associations play an essential role in advocating for children's rights with governments and international institutions. Through in-depth research reports and compelling testimonies, they highlight violations of children's rights and urge the authorities to take concrete action.
In France, According to the Traumatic Memory and Victimology Association, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 4 men report having been a victim of sexual violence. 81% of them before age 18, 51% before age 11, and 21% before age 6... These shocking figures are used to advocate for stronger laws and stronger child protection policies.
The associations also encourage the participation of children in decision-making processes. In this way, they ensure that their voices are heard and taken into account in policies that affect them.
Transforming speeches into tangible actions
In addition to awareness-raising and advocacy, associations stand out for their concrete actions on the ground. They provide vital support to vulnerable children, including education, health and protection.
Here are a few telling examples:
As we have seen, access to health is a fundamental right guaranteed by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. Vaccination is essential in taking this right into account. UNICEF is the world's leading supplier of vaccines and is therefore at the heart of the fight against epidemics and childhood diseases. The organization estimates that over the past 50 years, they have increased the survival of infants worldwide by 20%. But the fight is still ongoing. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined vaccination campaigns in many countries. Over a decade of progress has been destroyed in 3 years!
Local associations also support and strengthen child protection services, such as hotlines, shelters for abused children, and reintegration programs for children living on the streets.
Education, key to the protection of children's rights
Education plays a critical role in protecting children's rights by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to thrive and contribute positively to society. Associations work actively to ensure equitable access to quality education for all children, regardless of socio-economic background, gender, or geographic location.
At LIFE, our job is to facilitate access to school for all children without discrimination in many countries. With our school for all operation, we provide school kits, and let's make sure that their entire environment is conducive to their schooling. The construction of drinking water wells in villages and the installation of sanitary facilities near schools allows children and girls in particular to go to school without worrying about their safety or the burden of fetching water for their families.
Did you know that? According to UNESCO, in 2022, nearly 244 million children and adolescents around the world did not attend school, often due to poverty, conflicts or discrimination.
The challenges of associations in the protection of children's rights
While associations have achieved significant success in their mission to protect children's rights in Europe and around the world, they still face many challenges in their work. Limited resources, both financial and human, often hamper their ability to effectively meet the growing needs of vulnerable children. In addition, armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, pandemics, pandemics, poverty, and discrimination compromise the safety and well-being of children. All of this makes their job all the more difficult. To meet these challenges, associations must strengthen their collaboration, mobilize more resources and place children's rights at the heart of national and international political agendas.
Associations are the pillars of raising awareness about children's rights in Europe and around the world. Their efforts are vital, but in the face of growing challenges, especially those posed by technology (think of online harassment for example) and humanitarian crises, constant adaptation is necessary. To move forward, they must collaborate with other actors and design innovative approaches, in line with changing realities.
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