Child rights

The meaning of the child and the rights of children

Etymologically, the term “child” comes from the Latin infans which
means ” the one who does not speak “. For the Roman, this term
designates the child from its birth, up to the age of 7 years.
This notion evolved a lot through centuries and cultures to finally
designate human being from birth until adulthood. But this conception
of the child was wide and the age of the majority varied from a culture
to another.

“Every child is a life in all its fullness”

Despite much progress in recent decades, millions of children are still living
without their basic rights. Now more than ever, children’s lives are being touched
by violence, conflict and the impacts of climate change. 
Globally, an estimated 800 million children live in fragile and conflict-affected
areas where child rights are often denied and childhoods are stolen by abuse,
exploitation and slavery. 

What are child rights?

child rights are the human rights of children. Every child, regardless of their age,
race, gender, wealth or birthplace, has rights.
 These rights are enshrined in international law in the Convention on the
Rights of the Child (CRC).
It recognizes all children must be treated
 fairly,
 equally
 Dignity.
The child rights convention laws are non-discriminatory and are always in the
best interests of the child.
 A child is recognized and described by the United Nations (UN) children’s
rights convention as every human being below the age of 18 years unless
under the law applicable to the child, adulthood is attained earlier.

 A history of children’s rights

After World War I, the League of Nations (which would later become the
UN) drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which included the rights
to life, food, shelter, education, freedom of speech and religion, justice and peace

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights
treaty in history. It sets out the rights of children in 54 articles and is guided by
four beliefs:
 Children should not suffer discrimination (Article 2).
 In all decisions affecting children, their best interests should be the main
concern (Article 3).
 Children have the right to survive and develop healthily (Article 6).
 Children have the right to have their views taken into account in matters
that affect them (Article 12).

World Children's Day

In 2019, the world marked the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights
of the Child on World Children’s Day, 20 November. World Children’s Day is an
opportunity to raise awareness on child rights,
 Child Rights in Pakistan
While world community is commemorating the 30th anniversary of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), many child rights activists in
Pakistan are wondering what to celebrate. The reasons for this bewilderment are
conspicuous and well-known, as the state of Pakistan has failed to mitigate
miseries of millions of vulnerable children in the country. Indicators of health,
education, welfare and protection of children living in Pakistan are depressing.
The international organization Kids Rights Foundation has placed Pakistan at the
151st position in the global Child Rights Index of 181 countries. Some of us might
be willing to accept this inferior position for Pakistan being a developing country.
But why then some of the neighbouring countries of South Asia, with similar
socio-economic background, have done far better than us, and are now placed at
a comparatively enhanced standing in child rights index. How Pakistan can justify
its low position of 151st, with Bangladesh at 108th, India at 117th, Myanmar at
133rd, and even Nepal at 136th. This is a proof of our poor performance and
transpires that policy makers and state machinery in Pakistan have utterly ignored
welfare and rights of children.