The
Rights of an Innocent Life
‘Humanity has to
do its best for the child’
–Declaration of Geneva
Children are the future
of mankind. How a society treats its children is the sole determinant of the
fate of that society. Until quite recently, there was no legal protection for
these young fledglings. Adopted in the United Nations General Assembly in 1989,
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) became the
first legally binding text for protecting and safeguarding the rights of the
child. The UNCRC defines child rights as “specialized human rights that apply
to all humans below the age of 18.” Child Rights under the UNCRC include-
Article 12- The child’s
rights to express views freely in all matters affecting them.
Article 13- The child’s
rights to freedom of expression, which is restricted by law ‘when necessary for
the protection of national security, public order…. or public health or
morals.’
Article 16- Protection
against interference on ‘privacy, family, home… honor or reputation.’
Article 17- Recognition
of the importance of media and encouragement of dissemination of material ‘of
social and cultural benefit to the child’ and ‘the development of appropriate
guidelines for the protection of the child from information and material
injurious to his/her well being.’
According to the
convention, there are four principles that must be followed while implementing
the rights it advocates- Non- discrimination; Best interest of child; Right to
life, survival and development and; Respect for the views of the child.
Child rights not only
deal with the protection of a minor against any form of abuse but also take
into account the need for a suitable environment for a sustainable growth of
the child. Since children have an understanding of the world quite distinct
from the adults, their needs are also unique and different which make child rights
highly suited and heeding to the needs of a typical child. When we talk about
child rights, we do not refer to the conventional rights that apply to the
adults but to more age appropriate political, social and legal aspects that
affect the children. The recent years have seen an uprising wave in the field
of child rights with a series of debates and discussions on the need to treat
children as ‘natural persons’ respecting their needs and demands.
The original focus of
child rights was the prevention of child abuse that majorly included protection
during wars, against malnutrition and even from parental abuse. But with the
passage of time child rights engulfed a number of other issues spreading its
wings into almost every aspect of child life. They started addressing the
demands and the needs of the children and moreover made their voices heard
across the globe.
Despite so much
awareness and legal binding, there are still millions of children who have no
access to education, lack the basic necessities for survival, under hazardous
conditions and endure assaults on their dignity every single day. Even though
there has been significant emancipation in the field of child education, with
the introduction of Right To Education (RTE) and the UN led Millennium Development
Goals and Education for all, but the other spheres that affect a child have
been largely neglected and a large number of United Nations states have failed
to fulfill their obligations to the UNCRC. A report by the Unicef said, “We
cannot afford to continue at the same pace for the next 25 years. Unless
efforts are stepped up, the rights of millions of children will continue to be
violated. When we come together to focus commitments, investments and actions
on the right interventions, true progress ensues.”
All sorts of violations
of child rights have a common characteristic that they are majorly based on
tradition, culture, religion or superstition and these sorts of violations are
often carried out by the adults in the child’s circle. According to the UNCRC,
a child can face violation of his/her rights in two ways- (1)Physical abuse
where a child may be subjected to physical violence and beating resulting in
fractures and multiple injuries. Violation may also include depriving the child
of food and water retarding his growth and development. Physical abuse can even
go to the extent of torturing he child, abusing them sexually and even
inflicting self harm. (2)Psychological abuse includes depriving the child of
his right to education and development and often inculcating negative forms of
socialization creating a false and distorted image of the society in the young
minds. The most common violation of child rights is in the form of child labor.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated an approximate 168 million
child laborers in 2013, accounting for about 11% of the world population. It is
heartbreaking to see that the hands which should be playing with blocks and
dolls and the minds that should be engaged with books are being violated and
abused in hazardous industries that are stealing away the innocence of their
childhood from them and draining out any potential talent of the young bud.
In spite of a number of
limitations to child rights, there is still scope to fight these violations and
protect the future of our species. As the UNCRC turned 25 last year, we could
see a trajectory of positive changes in its life span. 74% of countries no
longer allow children to engage in hazardous activities, however, half of these
still allow children to work in jobs that may endanger their lives. This
picture clearly signifies that the efforts being undertaken are bearing fruits
but are not enough to keep up with the rising pace of new issues spurring in
everyday. What we now need to save mankind from its own evils is a co operated
action supported not only the governmental bodies, but also people as
individuals, Non Governmental Organizations and media houses to bring about a
revolution in the lives of those millions of children who continue to suffer in
inhuman conditions. Let’s make a difference. Let’s make this world a better
place. Let’s do our bit.
- Nikita Tandon
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