Save the children india importance of rights of girl child. State obligations to make the provisions of the convention widely known. The scheme aims to eliminate female foeticide and girls dropout rate from schools and educational institutions. Being home to more than one third of the 10 million child brides in the world, india has one of the highest numbers of girls forced into marriage before the legal age of 18. The girl child is one of the critical areas of the 1995 beijing platform for action. Government has to be vigilant for ensuring that there is no discrimination against the girl child and her rights are protected. Especially the rights of female children are denied. A girl child is discriminated in both cities and villages. Such relationships may be recognized in statutory or customary law as marriages, or may. The issue of girl child rights and protection in india is a very serious concern. Through marriage, girls of primary school age not only are precluded from school, but also lose their rights as children. It is the most complete statement of childrens rights ever produced and is the most widelyratified international human rights treaty in history. Promote and protect the rights of the girlchild and increase awareness of her needs.
A girl s childhood can and must be preserved, cherished, nurtured and protected. In most cases young girls get married off to significantly older men when they are still children. The committee on the rights of the child and the committee on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women have stated, in a joint recommendation, that the minimum age for. In 2008 zimbabwe ratified the african charter on human and peoples rights on the rights of women in africa, including article 6 which sets the minimum age for marriage as 18. It analyses existing references to girls and their rights in more than 1,300 international policy documents, covering a period of 87 years from 1930 to 2017. Because she has the right to survive, develop, be protected and participate in decisions that impact her life. This overview describes some of the major global and regional legal instruments that have contributed to this transformation, as well as specific relevant provisions in broader humanrights related instruments and in international agreements on child protection.
Child marriage and violations of girls rights human. African charter on the rights and welfare of the child preamble the african member states of the organization of african unity, parties to the present charter entitled african. Offorma 2009 defines it as a biological female offspring from birth to eighteen 18 years of age. Using the law to end child, early and forced marriage and related human rights violations building on the body of equality nows work for the protection of girls and womens rights, this report illustrates the impact of child marriage through 11 case studies and includes an analysis of the laws and issues. Educating girls helps to make communities and societies healthier, wealthier and safer, and can also help to reduce child deaths, improve maternal health and tackle the spread of hiv and aids. Infanticide, female genital cutting, and honor killing are three practices that are carried out in several regions of the world. These dynamics affect not only the girls themselves, but also their children and households, as well as communities and entire societies. The full and equal participation of women in political, civil, economic social and cultural life, at the national, regional and. We advocate for the dignity and rights of young women and girlsso that every girl can be safe and live a life free of violence and exploitation. Malawi has signed and ratified the optional protocol to the convention on the rights of the child on the sale of. Pdf right to inclusive development of the girl child in africa.
The convention on the rights of the child, adopted by the united nations. Dec 23, 2016 inequality about girl child is a vast problem which includes many areas like inequality in education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, honour, child marriage and so many. Every child deserves to reach her or his full potential, but gender inequalities in their lives and in the lives of those who care for them hinder this reality. And after the birth the girl child is killed or is tortured to work, or is abused, is not provided with education, is forced to marriage at a small age and many other types of discrimination. We work to change the narrative as well as policies that allow girls to be criminalized when they are victimized. The convention on the rights of the child guarantees the rights of all childrenwithout discrimination in any form. The human rights of girls subjected to child sexual. Convention on the rights of the child adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by general assembly resolution 4425 of 20 november 1989 entry into force 2 september 1990, in accordance with article 49. Girls education in the 21st century gender equality, empowerment, and economic growth mercy tembon and lucia fort.
The united nations convention on the rights of the child, or uncrc, is the basis of all of unicefs work. In 2008 zimbabwe ratified the african charter on human and peoples rights on the rights of women in africa, including article. These campaigns have focused on specific issues from influencing child friendly policies, to rehabilitation efforts in disaster and natural calamities, to. The initiative also aims are protecting, safeguarding, supporting, and educating the girl child. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact. This is the most assertive path for the real empowerment of girls and. A violation of human rights child marriage is a violation of human rights. Hence, this study therefore examined the problems and challenges of girl child education in kebbi state, with particular reference to kalgo local government area.
Save the girl child is a social initiative in india to fight against the practice of female foeticide. It describes the commitment that your government has made to recognise your rights. Childrens rights guide peaceful schools international. The case of bunkpuruguyunyoo district in northern ghana elijah kombian fant a thesis presented to the faculty of social sciences, university of tromso norway in partial fulfillment of the requirement for master of philosophy in indigenous studies spring 2008. The national child welfare policy 1989 as cited by ada 2001 defines the girlchild as a female below 14 years of age. E uwameiye department of vocational and technical education, faculty of education, ambrose alli university ekpoma iserameiya f.
In education, the moe and the center for educational research and development. Education and women empowerment education is a powerful tool of social transformation. E department of vocational and technical education, faculty of education, ambrose alli university ekpoma abstract. It has coordinated the work of the parliamentarian committee and the forum of child s rights, and attended several seminars related to child s right in the region. The united nations convention on the rights of the child. Female education is a catchall term of a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular for girls and women. The official text of the convention can be obtained from save the. Education that helps create attitudinal shifts that emphasise the rights of a girl child. In 1995 zimbabwe ratified the african charter on the rights and welfare of the child, including article 21 regarding the prohibition of child marriage. Todays challenges for girls education vii lean in with girls and womens leadership by invest ing in two initiatives that could go to scale in a short.
Child rights in india right to education and health. Rights based gender responsive effective health seeking and promoting safe and protective inclusive. Girls education is a strategic development priority. This strategy is a first step to get us back on track. Children and youth also enjoy certain human rights specifically linked to their status as minors and to their need for. According to the society the girl child means nothing, but just a doll who works at the instructions given to her. These entitlements apply to children of every background and encompass what they need to survive and have opportunities to lead stable,rewarding lives.
The importance of girl child education cannot be over emphasized. This has implication on their economic security even as adult women and lack of awareness on their legal rights. Our present prime minister has requested every section of the society to give wholehearted support to the beti bachao, beti padhao. Educating girls contributes significantly to the development of a stable, prosperous and healthy nation state whose citizens. It includes areas of gender equality and access to education, and its connection to the alleviation of poverty. Oct 11, 2019 international day of the girl child is being observed across the globe to create awareness and to recognize the rights of women and girls across the globe. Read the full convention pdf read a summary of the uncrc pdf.
Pdf right to education is one of the fundamental rights recognised and guaranteed in international and regional instruments. Problems and challenges of girlchild education in nigeria. Childrens rights august 2007 the law library of congress 2 voluntary organizations and local authorities to strive for the observance of childrens rights. Girls and boys see gender inequality in their homes and communities every day in textbooks, in the media and among the men and women who provide their care and support. Jun 14, 20 international human rights standards recognize the right of women and girls to live free from physical, mental, and sexual violence. A handbook for members of parliament 5 introduction s outh africa has enshrined childrens rights in the constitution act 108 of 1996, the supreme law of the country that was designed to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights of all people in the country. Female foeticide, child abuse and child prostitution must be eradicated immediately. A project proposal on enhancing womens capacity to.
Founded in 1992, equality now is an international human rights organization that works to protect and promote the rights of women and girls around the world through the. All the rights are connected to each other, and all are equally important. If you dont have a photo and it feels safe for you to do so just close your eyes and let yourself imagine the face of the child within. Childrens rights,listed in the united nation convention on the rights of the child uncrc,are a set of universal entitlements for every child and young person below the age of 18. Child marriage legitimizes human rights violations and abuses of girls under the guise of. The paper found out that kenya girl child is adversely affected by gender issues ranging from female genital mutilation, early marriage, girl child drops out of school since most parents prefer educating. Articles 43 54 are about how governments and international organisations will work to give children their rights. A girl child is discriminated before birth, when there is gender determination, if the result is a girl she is killed in the mothers stomach. Mar 16, 2016 literally meaning educate the girl child, save the girl child the beti padhao, beti bachao scheme is an ambitious scheme of the government of india which is intended to generate massive awareness, improvement of quality of welfare services for females and helping them girls and women access these services better. The elimination of child marriage by 2030 is a target under. Wpf and iheu therefore urge all governments to end child marriage. The links between the rights of women and adolescent girls. In many cultures and societies, the girl child is denied her human rights and sometimes. Sign up to be part of unicefs youth advocate program to access free resources all year round.
This period is made up of infancy, childhood, early and late adolescence stages of development. Declaration of the rights of the child of 1924 and in the declaration of the rights of the child adopted by the general assembly on 20 november 1959 and recognized in the universal declaration of human rights, in the international covenant on civil and political rights in particular in articles 23 and 24, in. The practice of fgm violates, among other international human rights laws, the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, as laid down in article 24 paras. Child marriage is widely considered as a violation of.
And for a few moments look into the face of the child you were. Over the years cry has initiated, launched and organised campaigns to amplify the voice of children and their rights. The united nations convention on the rights of the child uncrc defines child rights as the minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be afforded to every citizen below the age of 18 regardless of race, national origin, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origin, wealth, birth status, disability, or other characteristics. In order to move the girl child from the margin to the. Child marriage and the betrothal of girls and boys shall be prohibited and effective action, including. Too often girls are falling between the dominant agendas of womens and childrens rights. Rights are things every child should have or be able to do. Human rights are universal, and civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights belong to all human beings, including children and young people. Started with initial funding of rs 100 crore, it is one of the most significant. Better educated women tend to be healthier, participate more in the formal labor market, earn higher incomes, have fewer children, marry at a later age, and enable better health care and education for their children, should they choose to become mothers. All too often, the imposition of a marriage partner upon a child means that a girl or boys childhood is cut short and their fundamental rights are compromised. If the girl child is only viewed as a child, she runs the risk of being excluded from the discussion of womens rights and the broader scope of human rights.
Over the last thirty years with unicef in asia, i have encountered the phenomena of child marriage and early marriage on numerous occasions. Celebrating the united nations convention on the rights of the child written by lori dupont, joanne foley, and annette gagliardi founders of the circle for the child project edited and designed by julie penshorn, codirector, growing communities for peace published by. Convention on the rights of the child want to learn more about childrens rights and the areas that unicef works in to help the most vulnerable children. Girls education through a human rights lens overseas. National girl child day has been started as a national girls development mission by the government of india. This overview describes some of the major global and regional legal instruments that have contributed to this transformation, as well as specific relevant provisions in broader human rights related instruments and in international agreements on child protection. Gender based violence against women and its implication on the girl child education in nigeria dr mrs b. It is also called beti bachao, beti padhao in hindi.
Celebrating the united nations convention on the rights of the child written by lori dupont, joanne foley, and annette gagliardi founders of the circle for the child project edited and designed by julie penshorn, co. Transformative action through rights to 5 education and gender equality concluding remarks9. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Convention on the rights of the child and include nondiscrimination, protection from harm and abuse, and full participation in family, social, and cultural life. Childrens rights and the sustainable development goals. Literally meaning educate the girl child, save the girl child the beti padhao, beti bachao scheme is an ambitious scheme of the government of india which is intended to generate massive awareness, improvement of quality of welfare services for females and helping them girls and women access these services better. The growth of childrens rights as reflected in international and transnational law has transformed the postwar legal landscape.
However, in many countries where child marriage is an accepted. Intl day of girl child being observed today to recognize. The early marriages for girls also imply that many girls do not go to school as they are prepared for marriage. These campaigns have focused on specific issues from influencing childfriendly policies, to rehabilitation efforts in disaster and natural calamities, to creating awareness on the situation of children. I am my sisters keeper is what boys are encouraged to em girls education movement south africa 3 a school is child friendly, if it is. Child rights in india right to education and health smile. The human rights of women and the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of human rights. National girl child day 24th january 2019, girl child. My daughter was continuously saying that she had been raped, but the. Save the girl child is a scheme launched by the government of india on january 22 nd, 2015. Gender based violence against women and its implication on. This chapter examines whether, given equal opportunities as the boy child, the female child can contribute to sustainable poverty reduction in. So what does international law say about child marriage and what obligations do states have to ensure the right to education of married andor pregnant girls. As this document focusses on the rights of girls, child sexual exploitation will be discussed as a form of child sexual abuse which in turn includes the rape, assault, harassment, trafficking, grooming and.
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