Jargon of the week: **Matrix**

Submitted by crinadmin on

Mention the word "matrix" and many people's thoughts will head straight to the 1999 science-fiction Hollywood blockbuster "The Matrix".

Sadly, its every day use is far less exciting - a "matrix" is simply an elaborate grid that shows the links between different elements to give a more complete overview of a situation.  Even if this meaning is understood, though, using the word "matrix" in the context of children's rights can be just as confusing, elaborate, and overly technical as The Matrix's fantastical machine-run world. 

Many NGOs and governments use "matrices" to evaluate how and whether children's rights are being fulfilled, which are essentially lists of rights and specific criteria to determine how those rights fare in law, policy and practice.

Where numbers come into play (such as in finance or economics), it may make sense to use the word "matrix" since these numbers will often change and the use of spreadsheets is commonplace.  But where you are writing in text about children's rights, you would be better served to describe a "matrix" as a "report", a "list", or even a "chart" to be more clear about what kind of document you intend to present.

Organisation: 
Child Rights International Network

Countries

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