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Who are Children?
We are human beings below the age of 18.
What are their rights and obligations?
Children have universal rights that are declared by all states in the world and agreed by each country. Universal declarations are declarations or announcements on agreements made on certain issues or areas that involve countries all over the world. These declarations are usually a set of standards and obligations that countries promise to fulfil and carry out. Once countries accept these declarations they can not be changed or not done.
Children’s rights are one of the universal declarations. There are two declarations that concern children that are universally accepted. These are the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child.
What are the differences between the two declarations?
- Definition of a child: both declarations state that a child is a human being under the age of 18. However, the Convention states that the maximum age limit can be lesser than 18 depending on the country’s legal system. This is done for countries to consider their own cultural and social backgrounds. However they should be very careful so that those children that need care and protection would not be left out when the age limit is made to be less than 18.
- Harmful traditional and social practices: As harmful traditional practices highly affect children of Africa, these practices are given more emphasis on the African Charter than the Convention. Thus, the Charter states that child marriages should not be practiced and that couples should be at least 18 before they can marry.
- The aims of education: There are more specific aims for educating children on the African Charter than the Convention. These are:
- To preserve Africa’s useful norms and traditions
- To preserve national freedoms and sovereignty
- To encourage and support African unity
- To take care of and protect environmental and natural resources
- Obligations: Children have rights as well as obligations that they need to fulfil. These go together when talking about their rights. Children also need to do their share in the society. This is specifically stated in the African Charter and not so much in the Convention.
 Continue reading on the rights of children given in each of the Declarations below.
 The following is a simpler version of the African Charter for you to properly understand and tell your friends about their rights too. It was prepared by the Organization for African Unity now known as the African Union.
Right 1
Name and Identity: Every child has a right to have a name. We have a right to be registered after birth. We have a right to be citizens of a country.
Right 2
 No Discrimination: All children have the same rights. There should be no discrimination against children because of their race, religion, colour, sex, disability, language or ethnic group.
Right 3
Health: Every child should be healthy. We should be immunized, live in a clean home, eat good food and drink clean water. Our government should provide health services for us.
Right 4
Drugs: We should be protected from drugs and other harmful things like alcohol and cigarettes. Drugs and alcohol can interfere with our growth and education.
 Right 5
Education: A lot of children, because of different reasons, do not go to school. These children are tied to work in the house or other work to earn money somewhere else. BUT, all of us children have the right to be educated. The government must make sure that we are given the chance to go to school.
 Right 6
Freedom of expression: We have the right to think and express ourselves in public.
Right 7
Separated children: We should not be separate from our parents and families. Children who are separated from their parents have rights like all other children. They also need special protection and help. They should be helped to rejoin their families or another family.
 Right 8
Care and Protection: Our parents should care for us. They should protect us against danger. Some children who do not have parents should also be cared for and protected. Parents and teachers should never hurt or injure children when they are trying to teach them to behave well.
 Right 9
Child labour: We should not be made to do very heavy, difficult and dangerous work which only adults should do.
Right 10
Refugee children: Children who are forced to run away from their countries have rights. They should be protected and helped.
Right 11
Children and war: children should not be made to fight in wars. We should be protected from the dangers of war.
Right 12
Harmful social practices: We have the right to be protected from some cultural practices that interfere with our growth, physical and mental development, health and education. For example we should be protected from early marriages and Female Genital Mutilation.
Right 13
Sexual Exploitation: We should not be cheated or forced to engage in sex. It is against the law.
Right 14
Child abuse and torture: We have a right not to be abused or tortured
Right 15
Orphans: Children whose parents have died because of HIV/AIDS or from any other reason have the same rights as all other children.
Right 16
Handicapped children: children who are disabled have the same rights as all children
Right 17
Children and the Law: Every child who is accused or found guilty of committing a crime has the right to special treatment. A lawyer should represent the child; there should be a special court for children. If the child is imprisoned he should not be tortured or treated badly or put in the same prison with adults.
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MY DUTIES
I have a duty to my parents, family society and country. I have the duty to respect my parents and my family. I also have the duty to respect other people who include other children and adults. It is my duty to help them when they need help. I have a duty to serve my country the best way I can.
I have a duty to preserve and respect the African culture and to use the teachings of the African culture to make the society a better one.
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Date:7/11/2006
Posted By:The African Child Policy Forum |
