WHAT DOES YOUR CHILD KNOW ABOUT CHILDREN’S RIGHTS?
As human beings we all want to live good and fulfilling lives. To assist us in bettering our lives is the idea of human rights.
Human rights are basically rights that we all have just for being alive. Some of these rights include:
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- The right to live, the right to be healthy,
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- The right to stay in a clean and healthy environment
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- The right to move freely.
However, everyone is supposed to respect other people’s rights while enjoying theirs.
For example, while everyone has the right to move freely, you should not enter into other people’s houses without their permission.
In 1989, the United Nations (UN) which works as a government for countries saw the need to write a special law for children’s rights called the United Convention on the Rights of the Child. The rights in this document have been accepted by 196 countries in the world including Kenya.
In this, they provided for more special protections for children such as:
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- Children should be protected from abuse
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- When anyone is making a decision, the decision should always think of how the decision affects the child and do what is best for the child
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- Children should not be involved in work that is harmful to their education, health or development
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- Children have a right to play, rest and engage in cultural activities.
In Kenya, we have our own laws like the Constitution which is the document that speaks as to how the Kenyan government will be formed and how the government should treat its citizens. The rights of a child are also given in our Constitution as:
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- Right of the child to be taken care of by their parents
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- Right to a name and to be a Kenyan if born in Kenya
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- Right to food, to go to school and to health
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- Right to be protected from anything that can harm a child including things like child abuse, being abandoned or harmful cultural practices like Female Genital Mutilation
If someone abuses you as a child, you can report it to your parents who will take the case to the police or the Children’s Office.
You can also call/dial 116 for help.
If you want to see more on child rights, you can read more through this link: https://plan-international.org/kenya/publications/childrens-rights-child-friendly-booklet/
By
John Ian
Volunteer facilitator – Batian & Teens Group