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Child perspective
A theoretical and methodological approach that aims to understand the
context that surrounds children, and also considers issues related to gender,
culture, and identity.
• A commitment to equality and equity, and human rights for all people,
including Children and youth, of course.
• A recognition that the power structures that determine the majority of
existing social relationships are damaging to diverse sectors of the
population, especially children.
• The promotion of an objective valuation of the contributions made by
youth, and the recognition of their right to meaningful participation in
decision making processes and relevant social contexts.
A constant questioning of the way we define youth and an identification of
the origins of the existing prejudices on youth by exposing stereotypes and
recognizing the value of plurality.
• Children have rights, children have a voice, and children have different
concerns than adults that need to be recognized.
• The world’s problems have a disproportionate impact on child life, who are
themselves disproportionately disempowered.
• It’s pragmatic—the challenges are tremendous, and children need to be
part of the solution, not just a symptom of the problem.
• Decision makers often do not understand the reality of children’s lives and
needs, and tend to design misguided policies accordingly.
• It’s a question of responsibility and independence—children have both a
right and a responsibility to participate. People in power also have a
responsibility to include child perspectives.
• It’s a basic part of citizenship and autonomy.
• It’s important for children to speak for themselves, rather than have their
agenda appropriated by other actors.
• It’s critical to the sustainability and effectiveness of any campaign.
• Policies may seem inclusive but in fact only target a small group of
privileged people and often exclude a broad spectrum of vulnerable voices
—including children.
• Current efforts to incorporate child perspectives tend to ignore the wide
range of children in need of representation, focusing instead on older,
privileged children
Key Points: child Perspective vs. Generational Perspective
• A child perspective often does not carry the same importance as a gender
perspective, because child is temporary. People tend to ignore or
undermine the particular needs of children because of this transitory
aspect, so the term youth perspective risks becoming marginalized.
• The difference between the term “child perspective” and the term “gender
perspective” is that gender is not just women—it’s a socio biological
category, not a specific group within that category. Whereas when you
talk about “child perspective” or “women’s perspective,” you’re talking
about a particular group of people and a perspective that they would
have, which assumes that there is a singular or particular perspective that
women have, that children have. That is where it becomes problematic to
use the word “child perspective” rather than, for example, “children
empowerment perspective” or “child participation perspective.” Unlike
“women’s perspective,” the notion of power relations is built into the word
“gender,” so the analysis of gender is already in the phrase “gender
perspective,” which makes it a more effective way of framing things.
Thank you
Agniva Lahiri
Coordinator Policy Research and Advocacy
Network of Asia Pacific Youth
Representing the experiences and realities of young people from the Asia
Pacific region, the Network of Asia Pacific Youth (NAPY) is a network of young
people working for the promotion, protection and advancement of young
people's rights, toward ensuring their meaningful participation and
perspectives at all levels of decision-making.
napy_coordinators@hotmail.com