ISLAMABAD: For a change, it were the children themselves who brought to the fore their problems on a day celebrated worldwide as Children’s Day.Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) and Child Rights Movement (CRM) organised a press conference on the occasion at the National Press Club which was addressed by members of Child Rights Clubs.

The children talked about the importance of the day and the state of child rights in the country.

Shifa Amir, 14, told mediapersons that she wanted the state to ensure delivery of child rights through proper implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

She said Pakistan was a party to UNCRC for the last 28 years, but the rights mentioned in the convention and committed by the state were so far not accessible.

Talking about the right to education, Abdul Rehman, 14, said about 22.6 million children were out of school in Pakistan.

He asked the state to take immediate action to ensure free and compulsory education for all children in accordance with the Constitution and law.

Shahzeen Omer, 10, said those children who did not go to school ended up doing menial work.

She told mediapersons that children were being exploited and forced into child labour, and were subjected to abuse and neglect.

She said the child domestic labour was the worst form of labour, calling it ‘Modern Day Slavery’. She demanded legislation that prohibited all kinds of child labour.

Children responded to questions and asked the media to take their message to decision makers.

CRM Coordinator Sajjad Cheema explained that children of Child Rights Clubs were part of the Child Rights Movement.

“Children are learning about their rights and after a series of orientation sessions were able to talk about their rights on their own. They have very high ambitions; they conducted awareness sessions in their schools and seemed excited to explore their rights. Today on the Universal Children’s Day they want to be the agent of change by addressing mediapersons and expecting appreciation for the efforts they are doing for the recognition of child rights in Pakistan,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2018