Checklist

Advocacy tips

• Look at the constitution and legislation. Are all children of all ages explicitly protected from discrimination in all areas of life, in constitutional or legislative provisions? Are all children protected equally? If not, has the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's Concluding Observations provided any guidance on this to your State? How has discrimination been successfully eliminated in constitutional and legislative provisions elsewhere?
• Review legislation and policy to ensure these do not inadvertently discriminate. In other words, does apparently neutral legislation inadvertently disadvantage children, or a particular group of children?
• Where legislation does exist to protect children from discrimination, is it implemented? If not, why?
• Record evidence of the scale and forms of discrimination experienced by talking to children, their parents or carers, and statutory bodies?
• Does a mechanism exist which systematically involves children in developing legislation and policies which affect them? How are children supported to share their concerns and communicate these messages to law and policy makers?
• What age-specific services exist to ensure no children experience indirect discrimination? For example, are local authorities required to make reasonable accommodations for children with disabilities or young children to access public buildings? Are age-appropriate services available for children seeking legal or medical advice?
• Are mechanisms in place to receive complaints if children's right to non-discrimination is breached? If so, are these accessible to all children?