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Summary: The world’s first ombudsperson for children, Målfrid Grude Flekkøy, died aged 76 on 2 November, leaving behind an important institution and legacy for children’s rights. Målfrid Grude Flekkøy became Norway’s, and the world’s, first children’s ombudsperson in 1981 - a position she held until 1989. "She started a revolution in modern child care. She was a fighter, and she fought for children's rights. She listened to children, and she took them seriously," says former Norwegian children’s ombudsman Reidar Hjermann. One of Flekkøy's main goals was to create a society where children would not be punished physically. Norway is now one of the few countries in the world where corporal punishment is banned in all settings (home, school and in the penal system). What is a children’s ombudsperson? An ombudsperson is an individual who acts as a “citizen defender”, dealing with complaints from the public about injustice and maladministration by government agencies. Some receive complaints from individuals and might have the authority to mediate between citizens and authority. Others might have the power to bring cases to court. Most importantly, they are independent of government and its agencies. The role of an ombudsperson for children, like Flekkøy in her time, is to promote and protect the rights and interests of children, as embodied in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), improve access to existing rights and promote recognition of rights not yet enacted. Norway’s current children’s ombudsperson, Dr Anne Lindboe, says: “Målfrid was truly amazing. She not only paved the way for children’s rights here in Norway, but all over the world. This office, which seeks to incorporate the rights of children in government policy and in all areas of our society, is her legacy - one which helps children live with dignity, respect and equality.” Veronica Yates, Director of Child Rights International Network (CRIN), says: “Children can be a particularly vulnerable group - they don’t have the right to vote, have no access to lobbies that influence government agendas and legal systems make it difficult for them to enforce their rights. Children’s ombudspersons, like Målfrid Grude Flekkøy, help give children a voice because it is their role to listen to children and champion their rights.” “As the first children’s ombudsperson, Målfrid Grude Flekkøy was a pioneer. She not only fought for children’s rights in her native Norway, but the way she carried out her position elevated the importance of the role internationally so there are now over 60 children’s ombudspersons around the world.” Before becoming the world’s first children’s ombudsperson, Flekkøy worked as both a kindergarten teacher, then as a psychologist. She obtained her PhD in psychology from the University of Ghent in Belgium in 1991. Målfrid Grude Flekkøy died aged 76 in Bærum on Saturday 2 November after a prolonged illness. Further Information: