| By Pratigya Rachelle Khaling, WVI Nepal Communications
In a country like Nepal, it is obvious that protecting and promoting children’s rights is exceptionally challenging.
Traditional beliefs and lack of awareness of the value of education often result in children being deprived of their basic rights including the right to life, to protection, to education and self-development.
Deepesh Paul Thakur, Advocacy and Public Policy Officer, World Vision International Nepal (WVIN), says, “Children are considered to be second-rate citizens in Nepal. Even though the government has ratified many conventions where rights are assured for children, these are limited to documents only. The reality is that children do not get opportunities to practice their rights. And, it does become the responsibility of the state as well as ours, to ensure child rights in the new constitution."
Children who understand their rights are more able to protect themselves from abuse, but in a country where half a million children do not attend school, lack of knowledge is one of the key challenges.
Twelve year old Rinku Wagle, in grade 7 at Ullens School, is one child who does know her rights. She says, “Some of the challenges for children in Nepal are trafficking of children, forced child labour and discrimination. Protecting children’s rights is the responsibility of our government as well as the welfare agencies in Nepal.”
The recent publication of the booklet “Constituent Assembly and Children – Ensuring Child Rights in the new Constitution” aims to do just that, by bringing together international and local NGOs with the government to promote child rights as part of Nepal’s newly written constitution.
Two coalitions, the National Coalition for Children as Zones of Peace (CZOP) and the Consortium of Organizations, have organised various activities and initiatives to keep child rights awareness in everyone’s sights. As a steering committee member of both coalitions, World Vision has provided both technical and financial help to enable these local bodies to advocate on issues that affect Nepalese children.
Deepesh Paul Thakur adds, “WVIN has realised the synergy of working through these networks rather than working in isolation. These networks consist of 26 (CZOP) and 50 (Consortium) member organizations. All of them are jointly working to ask for the assurance of child rights in the new constitution.”
The new booklet aims to educate a wide range of groups: the new Government, members of the Constituent Assembly (CA), various political parties, international and local non government organisations, humanitarian organisations, development agencies and their partners. It will also be shared with local village committees and citizens, including the children of Nepal.
The main objective of the book is to make these various entities aware of the constitution-making process and to highlight/remind them of their responsibility to include the protection of children's rights in the new constitution.
The book starts with a general explanation of the Constitution and how it is to be written, and of the Constituent Assembly and how it is formed. Following that, the book gives reasons why it is important to ensure children’s right in the new constitution and explains the responsibility of various entities to ensure such rights.
It is hoped that the book will play a major role in explaining to both children and adults what their role can be in writing the constitution.
“Our children are oppressed, marginalised and face extreme poverty,” said CA member Purna Kumari Subedi at the booklet’s launch on January 19th 2009. “This book is a greater effort to make the government of Nepal, and the whole nation, understand the importance not only of ensuring child’s rights in the making of the new constitution, but also the importance of children and of ensuring their wellbeing.”
WVIN is committed to supporting networks like CZOP and the Consortium in their work of advocating for the inclusion of child rights in the new constitution of Nepal, as well as for the welfare and well being of the vulnerable children of Nepal.
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