By Zvikomborero Gutu
Child participation in gender-responsive policy making is essential to address the issues of gender norms that affect them. Children’s perspectives and experiences can help policymakers.
Zvikomborero Gutu
Amplify children’s voices and promote gender-responsive policy making truly addresses their needs and priorities. Creating a gender-responsive and inclusive society begins with addressing the issues closest to us, like supporting those affected by Gender Based Violence (GBV).
Facing realities of life, it’s tragic I had a friend her passion for participating in responsive policy making was overshadowed by the harsh reality of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) at home.
As some say “charity begins at home” indeed resonates here, as does the pursuit of happiness.
she lived in fear when it was time to participate, she withdrew her participation because mentally she was affecting her because she had to bottling up the issue she faced at home. Just because she did not want the community to label her or her mother since women are known as the complainers.
More so witnessing GBV can be traumatic and debilitating, making it challenging to focus on external endeavors.
Children’s participation can help address gender norms issues such as:
- Gender-based violence and bullying
- Stereotyping and limitations in education and career choices
- Unconscious bias and discrimination
- Restrictive gender roles and expectations
- Lack of representation and voice
By involving children in policy making, we can empower them to become agents of change, foster a more inclusive and equitable society, develop policies that truly meet the needs of all children, break cycles of gender-based discrimination and build a brighter future for generations to come.
Let’s amplify children’s voices and involve them in policy making to create a gender-responsive and inclusive world.
From what I witnessed, necessary support and resources to overcome the challenges faced; perhaps organizations focused on GBV support and advocacy can offer help. Being supportive to a friend and listen without judgment empathy can make a difference.
Here are some recommendations to strengthen child participation in gender-responsive policy making:
- Establish child-friendly mechanisms; create safe and accessible spaces for children to share their views and opinions.
- Capacity building; train children, policymakers, and other stakeholders on gender-responsive policy making and child participation.
- Inclusive representation; ensure diverse representation of children from various backgrounds and abilities.
- Age-appropriate engagement; use age-appropriate methods and language to engage children in policy making.
- Child-led initiatives; support and empower children to lead initiatives and advocacy efforts.
- Adult support and mentorship; Provide guidance and support from trusted adults and mentors.
- Feedback and follow-up; ensure children receive feedback on their contributions and see the impact of their participation.
- Policy and legal frameworks; strengthen policies and laws supporting child participation and gender equality.
- Awareness and sensitization; raise awareness among policymakers, media, and the public on the importance of child participation and gender-responsive policy making.
- Resources and funding; allocate dedicated resources and funding to support child participation and gender-responsive policy making initiatives.
- Collaborative approaches: foster partnerships between governments, civil society, and international organizations to promote child participation and gender-responsive policy making.
To strengthen the child participation in gender responsive policy making are parents or guardians can challenge gender norms by avoiding GBV, also avoiding stereotypes and encouraging children to purse their interests and passion regardless of gender.