Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: Discussion paper produced by Save the
Children in South and Central Asia prepared
for the on going UN study on Violence against
Children.
Save the Children has a long experience of consulting with children,
listening to what they have to say and taking into account their views and
opinions on issues and decisions that impact on their lives. During such
consultations boys and girls around the world have expressed time and
time again that violence is a key issue in their daily lives. They have also
expressed that something be done urgently to prevent and combat such
violence. In recognition of the fact that violence is one of children’s priority
concerns, no matter where they live and who they are, Save the Children
welcomes the initiative of the UN study on Violence against Children as an
important opportunity for bringing about positive changes in the lives of
girls and boys affected by violence.
Save the Children believes that the participation of children is crucial to the
study’s quality and credibility. Placing children’s involvement at the heart of
the study will help to better understand the extent and nature of violence
against children. It will also help the process of designing more effective
responses that provide children with improved protection against such
violence as well as building on the growing involvement of children in
challenging the violence committed against them.
Save the Children is therefore making considerable efforts to engage
children in a meaningful and ethical way in the study. It is promoting the
need for and right of children to be involved as part of research teams
investigating particular aspects of the problem; as equal participants in
national and regional meetings and consultations connected to the Study;
and, as active partners in the dissemination and implementation of the
Study’s findings.
Save the Children is also promoting creative ways of involving children and
making sure that their voices are heard. This analysis of children’s voices
from South & Central Asia is part of a Save the Children initiative linked to
the Study, which gathers children’s voices and documents their concerns
and priorities on violence against them. Countries and regions in which
Save the Children is working are being asked to gather existing material
from children on violence. That is, what children have already said about
violence and how it affects them, what children have done to stop or
prevent violence against them or other children and what children have
recommended should be done to stop or prevent violence. This material is
being gathered from previous consultations and processes involving
children over the past five years and is being presented in two forms – a
publication and a film.
Rather than initiating a new set of consultations with children, this initiative
is intended as a means by which Save the Children can begin to respond
to the previously expressed agendas of children on violence against them.
It is therefore an important part of a process of mobilising support
internally within Save the Children and externally with other duty bearers
for greater accountability for children’s rights. That is, adults taking action
to translate children’s priorities and recommendations on violence against
them into better policies and programmes.
It is our hope that this will be an important contribution to the national and
regional processes linked to the Study and taking place in 2005 in South
and Central Asia; that the recommendations in this analysis will be
seriously taken into account by all the relevant policy makers; and, that
this contribution will also inspire other countries and regions to look back,
reflect and act upon children’s agendas.
For a copy of the Discussion Paper write to:
[email protected] or [email protected]
pdf: www.crin.org/docs/resources/publications/violence/Voices_of_girls_and_bo...