Media, Communications and Advocacy

Child Participation and Gender Learning Event

3-5 November 2015

Entebbe, Uganda

By Elizabeth Muiruri

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Media, Communications and Advocacy

CHILD PARTICIPATION

Child Participation is……

An INFORMED and WILLING involvement

of ALL children in matters concerning them

either directly or indirectly.

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Child Participation - perspective of media, comms,

advocacy

1. Transparent and informative: Ensure availability

of appropriate and relevant material about Save the

Children and its programmes

2. Participation is voluntary: Discourage use of

leading questions when covering stories from

children, quote their messages verbatim ensure

children are comfortable telling their story.

3. Participation is respectful: Acknowledge the

environmental, cultural and social economic factors

when covering their stories.

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Perspective of media, comms and advocacy cont’d

4. Participation is relevant: Write about issues

that the children highlight and consider

important and not limit ourselves to stories,

we as adults deem important.

5. Participation is child friendly: ensure that

children are comfortable before covering

stories, they are relaxed and comfortable with

taking photos, videos and conducting

interviews and they enjoy the process.

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6. Participation is inclusive: ensure that ALL

children get a chance to express themselves

regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, community or

differently abled and be culture sensitive when

covering stories.

7. Participation is supported by training for

adults: ensure communicators are trained and

supervised on how to conduct effective child

participation and provide the necessary support.

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Perspective of media, comms and advocacy cont’d

8. Participation is safe and sensitive to risks: ensure

proper assessment is taken before conducting interviews,

taking photos or covering a story; ensure consent is

ALWAYS given before using photos and videos taken

and where need be withhold the identity of the child.

9. Participation is accountable: encourage child

participation in follow-up activities and be clear on the

nature of support you offer.

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Perspective of media, comms and advocacy cont’d

Barriers - Children Perspective

• Children are not informed on issues that

affect them.

• They are unaware of what advocacy is and

how they can be involved.

• They can’t access decision-making processes.

• They lack the capacity to engage.

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Barriers from the perspective of adults

• Lack of understanding of what we mean by

participation.

• Lack of time, skills and resources to do it

properly.

• Adults’ negative or have preconceived

attitudes towards children.

• Children’s roles and status in society not

being seen as a priority.

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EARO-Children dreams

• Encouraging children

to be at the centre. by

envisioning their

dreams and drawing

them – Imagine their

country, what they

expect from the

leaders and what they

will do.

• Their drawings cut

across their rights

(participation,

protection,

environmental

protection, dreams

when they grow up

and nutritious food.

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Children dreams

• These drawings will

be shared in

meetings where

they speak with

their community

leaders, have their

voices heard, calling

for certain actions.

• Given an enabling

platform to add

their voice and

speak up through

this drawing activity,

children can be

change agents that

transform any

nation/region

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Thank you

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