Honouring every childs right to participation

UNIVERSAL CHILDRENS DAY | 20 NOVEMBER 2012

CHILDREN
In THE MEDIA
THE BIG PICTURE
Childrens involvement in the
media can have a tremendous
impact because it can show the
public that children have much
Young reporters tackle social issues
more to offer than most adults in rural India
give them credit for.
When Pausha Madharia (16) speaks, she gives voice to the
As a start, it develops a better use hopes, dreams and fears of every child in the Indian State of
of childrens rights generally.
Chhattisgarh.
Through media, young journalists
Standing before the State I said people
can demonstrate what children
Assembly, she shared her consuming liquor
are capable of doing and what
they have to say about the world
concerns about child labour, were creating a
discrimination faced by young nuisance for
around them.
girls and the troubles that
Children as journalists also children trying to get
some students encounter when
challenges conventional images
they try to attend school. past for classes.
of children as powerless victims.
Pausha told legislators that I asked that these
Instead, it presents children as
empowered members of society
drunken men sprawled on the shops be moved
road outside a wine shop in the away from any
who are able to express their
village were regularly
views on issues that affect their public place.
lives. threatening local
schoolchildren. Pausha Madharia, 16
This can help other children
visualise empowered roles for Pausha also wrote about the
themselves. issue in Bal Swaraj (Childrens Republic), a newspaper that
started in 2007 as part of UNICEFs Child Reporters Initiative.

The initiative recruits and trains child volunteers in an effort to

fulfill Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,
which gives children the right to speak freely and express their
concerns.

The Child Reporters initiative has trained about 1,200 young

people like Pausha who are now writing about issues that affect
them, their families and communities in the state.

UNICEF Malaysia Communications 2012


CHILDREN
IN SPORTS
THE BIG PICTURE
Sport, recreation and play are a fun
way for children to learn values and
lessons that will last a life time.
Sport promotes friendship and fair
play. It teaches team work,
discipline, respect, and the coping
skills necessary to ensure that
children develop into caring
individuals. It helps prepare young
people to meet the challenges they
will face and to take leadership
roles within their communities.
Involvement in sport can boost
childrens health, develop their
self- esteem, and improve
academic performance.
Sport also provides children with
their own space, both physically
and emotionally. This is especially
important for girls who often have
fewer opportunities than boys for
social interactions outside the
home and beyond family networks.
As girls begin to participate in
sports, and as female athletes gain
public recognition, they acquire
new community affiliations and
access to new venues, find
mentors for themselves and
become mentors to others, and
begin to more openly participate in
community life.
UNICEF Malaysia Communications 2012
Honouring every childs right to participation
UNIVERSAL CHILDRENS DAY | 20 NOVEMBER 2012
A girl who plays sport remains
healthy and sound
On a cool, grey morning, the chorus of a lively song Education
and games together give rise to a new spirit in us! echoed
through a packed sports stadium in Lahore, as 16-year old
Mariam Mamoon and her team mates took to the field for the
Fair Play for Girls campaign.
The song signaled the start of a day-long cricket match between
two girls teams organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board and
UNICEF.
To Mariam, the match was a Boys think
big step forward for girls like
girls cant play
herself, illustrating the
communitys progress in cricket and act as if
overcoming barriers that have its only their game.
prevented girls in Pakistan I play to let them
from playing sports in public. know we can play
When the traditional male and win as well.
domain of sports opens up Mariam Mamoon, 16
and allows girls and young
women to participate,
stereotypes of girls and women as ornamental or as weaker than
boys whether physically or emotionally are broken down.
The opportunity to participate in sports has helped develop
Mariams self esteem. Captain of her team, she is keen to prove
her worth and ability so she will be accepted into Pakistans
international womens team in the future.

CHILDREN
IN PUBLIC LIFE
THE BIG PICTURE
Childrens participation in the public
sphere is the logical extension of the
right to expression and decision
making.
Over the past ten years children and
young people have participated
increasingly in research, in national
consultations and international
conferences, in youth councils and
parliaments.
Public decisions that are informed by
the views and concerns of children
and young people can lead to better
policies, better services and
increased budget allocations for
children.
Time and time again we have
seen that the best advocates for
children, those who are best
informed about childrens issues
are children themselves.
Exposing young people to public
decision-making processes offers
important opportunities for civic
education and learning about
government. Involvement in such
processes can strengthen
childrens social responsibility and
develop their social,
communication and facilitation
skills.
UNICEF Malaysia Communications 2012
Honouring every childs right to participation
UNIVERSAL CHILDRENS DAY | 20 NOVEMBER 2012
Youth parliament an important step
for children
As the day breaks in his village, a jovial Rogue Santiago Braga
De Araujo (15) cannot wait to attend his first Parliamentary
session in the capital, Dili.
Together with some 130 young people from across the East
Timor, Rogue is part of his countrys pioneer Youth Parliament,
believed to be amongst the youngest in the region, at an
average of 14 years old.
The Youth Parliament, Im so happy.
supported by UNICEF and the Not so long ago,
Secretary of State for Youth
we were in a
and Sport, provides Timorese
difficult situation,
youth with a chance to have
their voices heard in the whole country
community and national was in chaos.
decision-making processes. Today we show
Through dialogue and debate, that young people
Rogue and his fellow are ready to build
parliamentarians have drafted
the country.
a set of recommendations on
Rogue Santiago Braga
issues affecting young people
De Araujo, 15
in Timor-Leste. Of greatest
concern to the delegates were education, health, employment
and recreation.
During their two years in office, these young parliamentarians
will also learn leadership skills and contribute to the national
dialogue on issues that concern them.