Child participation and Influencing: Their opinions aren’t just noted; they help steer the ship
Today, on Human Rights Day, it’s a wakeup call to every citizen, every leader, and every community: The future of a just and thriving society rests squarely on our commitment to its youngest members. We must, without exception, ensure that every single child is protected, empowered, and truly heard. As articulated in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), children have an extensive and undeniable right to express their opinions and be actively involved in decisions that concern them. Realising the full scope of Article 12 is the cornerstone of our advocacy goal: engaging in evidence-based action with and for children at every level—local, national, regional, and international—to decisively prevent and stop exploitation (‘Listen Up! Strategy’, 2030). To make this a reality, governments and institutions must move beyond rhetoric, introducing and improving laws and policies that hold a diverse array of actors—from policy makers to policy influencers—accountable for ensuring children’s opinions are not just heard, but meaningfully considered based on their age and maturity.
The global demographic reality—where almost half the world’s population comprises children and youth—underscores a critical paradox in governance and advocacy. Despite their numerical weight, policy formulation concerning this majority often proceeds with limited direct engagement from the very demographic it aims to serve. Much required is the paradigm shift, asserting that lived experience is not merely beneficial but fundamental to effective and practical policy development for children and youth. The fact that “No one knows the weight of the chains but the wearer” is a potent analogy for policy design. In the realms of advocacy, direct experience with a problem invariably yields superior, more implementable solutions. This applies also to the complex and sensitive domain of Child Exploitation (CE).
For TdH, meaningful child participation in advocacy and influencing moves beyond simple consultation. We focus on systemic changes that integrate the voices of children/youth into the very fabric of the policy cycle, and the following steps are non-negotiable for us.
- Simplification and Accessibility: Policies, laws and related concepts must be made available in language that is age-appropriate and contextually tailored to children’s understanding.
- Co-Creation of Tools: Training, knowledge products, advocacy messages, and advocacy materials should be co-created with children. This collaborative process ensures relevance, practicality, and ownership.
- Creating Psychological Safety: Establishing a safe and enabling space is paramount, ensuring children can express their views candidly without fear of judgment or dismissal.
For children and young people to participate, the process must be safe, meaningful, and ethical. It can’t feel like another homework assignment. We must respect their time—their school commitments, their family life, and their need for peer interaction and play.
This operational approach empowers children to influence stakeholders at various levels, from family structures to national policy bodies. Our Child Participation Policy rightly emphasises this importance, requiring mechanisms for direct and indirect feedback to incorporate their suggestions. Our Global Influencing Agenda and Strategy is grounded in the belief that children are central to driving change. Accordingly, we have prioritised child participation in advocacy to influence change
As a child rights advocate, I have faced this professional scepticism that often dismisses children as being too young to grasp or offer solutions to “serious” or “complex” issues. This is a limiting myth. In my experience, given the right support, resources, and contextualised information, children are just as capable as adults of engaging in complex problem-solving. Success hinges on:
- Providing the technical and conceptual clarity necessary to understand the issue.
- Offering the tools, mentorship, and guidance tailored to their developmental stage.
For us in Terre des Hommes, children and youth participation is not a charitable gesture but a fundamental right and an indispensable component of sound, practical, and sustainable policy architecture. We have learned from our experiences of working with children/youth on advocacy issues. In conclusion, true advocacy for children is not merely done for them, but actively with them and by them. Policy design must evolve from a model of benevolent provision to one of genuine partnership with the global youth majority.
In advocacy events and campaigns in TdH, we have seen them turning complex policy briefs into viral campaigns, dry statistics into powerful art, and long speeches into unforgettable slogans. Their creativity breaks through the noise, making the message resonate where adult voices might falter. We have also experienced that every time a young person steps up to the microphone, writes a powerful letter/poem, or challenges a policy, a profound transformation and behaviour change occurs.
Through meaningful engagement in advocacy;
- They gain skills, confidence, and a deep understanding of decision-making.
- They shape into thoughtful and articulate leaders.
- They learn to research, to negotiate, to compromise, and to persist—essential life lessons that extend far beyond the campaign and into their futures.
- They learn that democracy is not a spectator sport but a participatory one, teaching them to hold power accountable.
- They transform into passive recipients of policy into active, informed citizens who understand their government’s moral and legal compact with its people.
- They learn patience, develop a stronger zeal for advocacy, prepare more thoroughly, and maintain an unprecedented desire to bring about positive change when they face critics, delays and setbacks.
- They reinforce the message that they have the right to be heard, provide evidence, and contribute to improving their lives and society.
- Their presence is a powerful reminder to the world: society’s improvement is a shared project, and the future is built with the hands and voices of those who will inherit it.
