Child Participation

Educational workshop for service providers

By Patric Solomons

What is child participation?• Participation means taking part.• Do something meaningful and worthwhile• Be respected and taken seriously• Express views and make decisions • Be given responsibility • Solving problems and taking action • To contribute usefully• Willing involvement• Opportunities to learn and develop• Independence in thought and actions• Support & working together• It’s about rights and achieving change

Why is child participation important?• Children can make decisions• They can take responsibility for themselves and

others• They can contribute usefully to family and

community life• They understand their own wants and needs• They learn to consider the needs of others• They learn about their rights and the rights of others• They learn about community and social issues• They develop self-esteem, like-skills, social

competence and leadership skills• They learn about democratic principles• Adults, families, communities and society benefits

The child’s capacity to participate1. Babies & toddlers (0-2 yrs)• The child, mother and father

2. Pre-schoolers (3-7 yrs)• The child, family and friends

3. School going children (8-13 yrs)• The child, family, friends and school

4. Teenagers (14-17 yrs)• The child, family, friends, school and social

groups

Children’s participation rights.The rights of children in matters affecting their well-being;as well as their right to participate in social, economic andpolitical forums and processes stems from the growingrecognition of the autonomy of children.

The child’s participation rights is one of the main pillars ofthe substantive provisions in two key international childrights instruments; i.e.

• The Convention on the Rights of the Child

• The Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

Three main pillars – Child Rights• Provisions – these rights include general

provisions as well as the right to services, food, health care, education as well as the right to social security.

• Protection – includes the child’s right to be protected from certain activities, discrimination and the right to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse and exploitation.

• Participation – includes the right to participate in all matters affecting the child, as well as the right to be involved in decision-making, and the right to expression, association and freedom of thought.

The Convention on the rights of the child

• Article 12 - State parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views, the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.

• For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rule of national law.

• Article 13 – Freedom of expression• Article 14 - Freedom of though, conscience and religion• Article 15 – Freedom of association and assembly

The African Charter on Children’s Rights• Article 4 (2) – In all judicial or administrative proceedings

affecting a child who is capable of communicating his/her own views, (an) opportunity shall be provided for the views of the child to be heard either directly or through an impartial representative as a party to the proceedings, and those views shall be taken into consideration by the relevant authority in accordance with the provisions of appropriate law.

• Article 7 – Freedom of expression• Article 8 – Freedom of association and assembly• Article 9 – Freedom of though, conscience and religion• Article 14(2)(i) and (j) – Participation in the planning

and management of health services and programmes for children. This provision includes the participation of the whole society, especially NGOs.

Different kinds of ParticipationHart’s Ladder of participation (Hart, 1992)

• Manipulation• Decorations• Tokenism• Assigned-but-informed• Consulted-and-informed• Adult-initiated, shared decisions with

children• Child-initiated and directed• Child-initiated, shared decisions with

adults

Different kinds of participation11 Levels of participation according to Barbara Franklin, 1995

Non-participation• Level 0 – No consideration. Children are ignored• Level 1 – Adults rule.

Pre-participation• Level 2 – Adults rule kindly.• Level 3 – Manipulation.• Level 4 – Decoration.• Level 5 – Tokenism.

Participation• Level 6 – Invitation.• Level 7 – Consultation.• Level 8 – Joint Decisions.• Level 9 – Children lead, adults help.• Level 10 – Children in charge.

Decision making remains key element in concept of child participation.

Guiding Principles – Save the children• Children have rights to be listen to, to freely

express their views, to freedom on expression, thought, association and access to information

• Measures should be put in place to promote and facilitate participation in accordance with age and maturity

• Participation should promote the best interest of the child and enhance personal development of each child

• All children have equal rights to participation without discrimination

• All children have right to be protected from manipulation, violence, abuse and exploitation.

Key principles for participation1. Give children respect• This is an important component providing support for the other key factors

that facilitate child participation. Respect can be shown by listening to what children say, asking their opinions, treat children equally, explaining decisions and actions and respecting their views and ideas.

2. Give children opportunity• Children must be given opportunities to use their abilities to respond and

input in issues affecting their lives. They must also be given the opportunity to take part in various stages of a project cycle; i.e. project identification, project design, implementation & evaluation, impact assessment & learning

3. Give children responsibility• Children become more empowered when they are given responsibilities and

are allowed to take on responsibilities matching their capabilities. This helps them to develop confidence, ownership and empowered as decision-makers. Children must also understand the consequences of their decisions and actions.

4. Give children support• Children must be supported if they are going to be successful. They must

be supported with advice, resources and encouragement. This support must be provided when children need it. Children must also be supported by developing their skills and knowledge.

Practice standards – Save the Children

1. Ethical approach: transparency, honesty and accountability

2. Participation is relevant and voluntary3. Child-friendly enabling environment4. Equality of opportunity5. Staff are effective and confident6. Participation promotes safety and

protection of children7. Follow-up and evaluation

An ethical approach: transparency, honesty and accountability

• Child participation to be genuine and meaningful• Organisational policies promote child

participation• Management, staff, volunteers and children

support each other and work together.• Roles and responsibilities of all clear,

understood and agreed upon• Children are able to freely express their views

and opinions and are treated with respect.

Children’s Participation is relevant and voluntary

• Child participation should build on children’s personal knowledge.

• Relevant to the information and experiences of children’s own lives.

• Children participate on their own terms• Participation should be relevant to their skills

and ability • Time to consider their involvement – gain

consent of children, parents, care-givers.• Participation must be voluntary

A child-friendly, enabling environment.

• Determines the quality of participation and benefits to children

• Appropriate meeting and gathering places with easy access to facilities

• Make all children welcome• Provide support services to enable all children to

participate• Ensure creative, fun and interactive activities are

provided.• Consider children with special needs.

Equality of opportunity• Children are not a homogenous group –

participation must provide equality of opportunity• Include all rather than a few• Non-discrimination• Influence support for vulnerable children and

those in need and at risk• Equal opportunity to voice opinions and to take

part in activities.• Make no assumptions about what different

groups of children can do.

Staff are effective and confident• Organisational work-place policy in place• Staff carefully selected and informed about

organisational child protection and participation policy and commitment

• On-going staff training and development programme in place.

• Staff are properly supported to facilitate and organisechild participation

• Appropriate resources are made available• Sustainability strategies for child participation• Children know and understand role and responsibilities

of staff and volunteers.

Participation promotes safety and protection of children

• Organisations have a duty to ensure the safety of all children in their care.

• Minimise the risk of danger to abuse and exploitation• Careful selection and background checks of staff• Promote and protect the rights of all children• Children, parents and care-givers should know that

children are respected and protected• Male sure all staff know and understand legal and ethical

obligations to children.• Staff, volunteers and children know and understand

reporting procedures.

Follow-up & Evaluation

• Children are involved in evaluation and follow-up

• Children know and understand outcome of their participation

• Feedback reach all children• Limitations, mistakes identified and

solutions discussed with children• Children involved in sustainability strategy.• On-going evaluation and follow-up

Guiding principles in process of empowermentOwnership• Children must be given a sense of ownership that the work being done belongs to them.Familiar culture and lifestyle• Enabling culture and surroundings must be one that is familiar to children’s culture and lifestyle. Real power• Children need real power to influence decision-makers or else they will perceive their efforts to be

useless and quickly loose interest.Unrealistic expectations• Setting unrealistic expectations of what children can do is destructive for both children and adults

working with whenHonour the form of expression• Do not change their illustrations and forms of expression. Children will feel that the final expression is

their own.Support children with adult experiences• Do not threaten them with it. Discourage them from feeling that they have to do everything. Encourage

them to leave difficult task to adults.Respect• Adult’s respect for children must be visible at the start of the project. Children’s respect for adults is the

result of the other principles observed.Openness and communication• Adults and children must communicate constantly and openly. They must feel able and supportive for

open communicationTime alone• Children must be given time alone with no adults present.Democratic principles & ground rules• Children must set and adhere to democratic principles and establish ground rules of fairness, inclusion,

respect and working together.

Benefits for ChildrenLearn, share and work together• Children learn democratic skills working in groups and networks.Know & understand their rights• Children are better able to promote and protect their rights and the

rights of others & identify violations of their rights and expose it. Development of social competence and social responsibility• Children are informed and aware of various social issues. They

develop skills in dialogue and negotiation. Critical thinking, social & political consciousness• Children develop skills in critical reflection, able to analyse and

compare different ideas and perspectives; and able to develop their own political beliefs.

Capacity Building• Children learn different skills and develop various capacities; such as

life-skills appropriate for their age and how to organize activities and programmes for children,

Empowerment• Children are normally confident, have good life-skills, communication

and interpersonal skills and able to interact more effectively within their family, school and community.

Strategies to advance child participation

• Development of child protection & child participation policies

• Staff training and development programmes• Network and focus working groups• Consultative forums for children to discuss their

involvement & participation• Awareness & education of child rights & participation• Development of community campaigns and activities

with children• Prioritising areas for specific intervention to advance

child protection.• Promotion of child participation • Monitoring and evaluation

Thank you

Molo SongololoTel: 021 – 4485421Fax: 021 – 4482024

Email: patric@molo.org.za