International Workshop Held on "Preventing Discrimination Against Children: Ensuring Inclusion for All Children"
By Harilyn Rousso, Rapporteur (HarilynR@aol.com)
This workshop was held in association with the UN Special Session on Children, organized by UNICEF in May in New York as a 10 year review of progress and renewal of commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The workshop outlined key issues related to discrimination and disadvantage based on disability, gender and ethno-racial diversity, and proposed strategies and actions to combat discrimination and promote inclusion.
Objectives:
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To create and strengthen dialogue on discrimination and disadvantage for children, in light of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and in a way that integrates perspectives on disability, gender, and ethno-racial diversity.
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To outline key issues of discrimination and disadvantage, from these perspectives
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To impress upon the participants of the Special Session to take the messages on discrimination against children and to draw up specific action plans, especially in the national programmes.
Date, Time and Venue: Friday, 10 May, 2002, Dag Hammarskjold
Moderator: Ms. Penny Giragosian, Armenian Relief Society and Rights for Disabled Children
Ms. Zuhy Sayeed, Inclusion International
Panelists:
Ms. Landon Pearson, Senator, Canada
Ms. Zuhy Sayeed, Inclusion International
Mr. Gerison Lansdown on behalf of the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability and Chair of the CRC Working group on Rights of Disabled Children
Ms. Jennifer Jadwero, Child Speaker, Kenya
Mr. Myron Wolf-Child, Youth Speaker, Canada
Mr. Andres Guerrero, Senior Education Advisor, UNICEF
Mr. Roberto Leal, Executive Director, Inclusion InterAmericana
Mr. Michael Bach, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Association for Community Living
Mr. Juan Angel De Gouveia, Child Speaker, Venezuela
Her Royal Highness Marie Therese-Antangana Assiga-Randa, the Queen of Yaundi, Cameroon
Summary of Presentations and Discussions:
Ms. Penny Giragosian, in introducing the session, noted that while each of us may be different, we all have the same destination, giving the children of the world a world fit for children. She emphasized the importance of collaboration among children and youth, NGOs, governments and the UN to arrive at this destination.
Senator Landon Pearson in her opening remarks stressed that addressing the rights of disabled children and all children facing discrimination has been a priority for the Government of Canada and that she was pleased to see this special event geared toward discrimination, disadvantage and inclusion of all children had finally been realized. She felt that this event would provide an excellent opportunity to hear the views from diverse groups of people on this very important issue of inclusion of all children, and that everyone would learn from one another. She also expressed her hope that "all children, every single child, is included in our discussion and has an opportunity to communicate with us in a way that makes a difference to the kinds of policies that we as governments are able to propose."
Ms. Gerison Lansdown, speaking on behalf of the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability and presenting results from the Rights of Disabled Children report It Is Our World Too: A Report on the Lives of Disabled Children, highlighted that many of the nearly 150 million disabled children experience extreme violations of basic human rights; she stressed that these violations will not end by chance or good will, but rather require global commitment and action. Because few countries explicitly prohibit discrimination based on disability, there are few mechanisms to combat it. Discrimination is perpetuated through prejudices and cultural attitudes viewing disability as a curse, a punishment, and a calamity. It is compounded by government neglect and inaction, and by negative images in the media. Disabled children are widely denied the right to life, often live in extreme poverty, are disproportionately likely to experience violence and abuse at the hands of their caregivers, are widely excluded from education and are most commonly denied the right to participate and to social inclusion. Governments need to introduce legislation that explicitly protects disabled people from discrimination; and that National Plans of Actions must give active consideration to how all of the commitments are fulfilled for disabled children. In addition, commitments to ensuring universal access to primary education must include disabled children, and the forthcoming UN Study on Violence must address violence experienced by disabled children. She concluded with a quote from the report demonstrating the goal of equality of respect for the dignity of disabled children: "An eleven year old girl with Down's Syndrome was playing with a little boy on the beach. 'Are you disabled,' he asked. 'No, I'm Daisy,' she replied - and they went on playing."
Several speakers highlighted the progress and gaps in addressing the rights of children with disabilities within the overarching framework provided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Ms. Zuhy Sayeed noted that while some progress has been made in reducing the morbidity and mortality rates for children, it is important to look beyond the biomedical view of health status, and consider broader aspects. As she stated, "Whole groups of children are being denied a future because of the colour of their skin, their physical/intellectual characteristics, their ancestry and their gender." These children face structural disadvantages based on such factors as lack of access to education, and labour markets and global trading systems that deny some parents a living wage and a viable community. In her view, it is not enough for governments and NGOs to fight against discrimination. They also need "to add to that lens a vision of inclusion... We must envision the building of inclusive societies, economies and education systems that ensure dignity and rights for all children." She proposed using a lens of inclusion that holds governments, corporations, and NGOs accountable as they develop and implement National and International Plans of Action.
Focusing on gender issues and the rights of children, Mr. Andres Guerrero indicated that gender issues are not just women's issues, they are relevant to men and boys as well as women and girls. He noted that "gender hierarchy and inequality, no matter where they occur, perpetrate gender discrimination" and that one of the worst forms of gender discrimination is gender-based violence, where women and girls are the most likely victims. While not all men are perpetrators of violence, their silence or passivity on the issue can imply acceptance of the status quo. He called for promoting the development of new models of masculinity for all men, not just for those who perpetuate violence, as a means of achieving gender equality. He proposed the application of a lifecycle approach as a framework for programming gender equality, and outlined steps that need to be taken during the early years, adolescence, adulthood and older adulthood to create new images of masculinity that include cooperation, sharing of power, tolerance, democracy, and love and respect for diversity, and thus foster gender equality. Finally, he talked about the need to mainstream gender into all of UNICEF priorities.
Also addressing gender issues, Ms. Jennifer Jadwero, a 14 years old girl from Kenya, spoke about discrimination against girl children, including their being undervalued at home, overworked in household tasks, and subjected to harmful traditional practices such as FGM, early and forced marriage, and nutritional taboos. She described how she started the Stop Rape Club in the school, engaging both boys and girls in all activities because " the problem of gender-based discrimination is not just a matter of a few bad boys and men going around mistreating, beating and raping girls, but it is a problem of our society's social make-up... Some boys have also been affected by discrimination and violence in their own lives. So to find a solution to the problem, both girls and boys, women and men must work together." The programme has been successful in promoting gender equality. Boys learn that it is okay to be gentle, that they do not have to be violent and tough to be a man, and that they can feel their emotions and express their feelings. Girls, in turn, learn they are as good as boys and entitled to full equal human rights A key learning from the programme is that when the younger boys in the lower classes notice that the older boys in the club respect and cooperate with the girls, then they also change their attitude and start behaving in the same manner. She concluded that when it comes to gender discrimination, boys and men need to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
Deeply concerned about the harsh effects of gender inequality, Her Royal Highness Marie Therese Antangana Assiga-Randa, the Queen of Yaundi, Cameroon described some of the cultural practices in her country that discriminate against girls. These include early marriage, FGM, sexual abuse by teachers and elders, and child beating at home and at school. She stressed that parents and youth need information and support to break these patterns, and requested assistance from developed countries to bring about change.
Addressing racial and ethnic discrimination and disadvantage, Mr. Myron Wolf-Child, a youth representative from Canada and a Blackfoot Indian, spoke eloquently about disability and poverty, with a particular focus on indigenous and aboriginal children around the world. He stated that his goal as well as his passion was to engage governments in the elimination of childhood poverty. Acknowledging that every minute of every day, children are subjected to harsh reality of discrimination, he said that the images of deprivation in Africa reflect only one type of child poverty. Children in all parts of world experience many forms of poverty, such as lacking one or both parents, growing up in foster care or in an orphanage, not having parents around because they must be work long hours to provide for the family, lacking the resources to socialize with peers, or experiencing emotional neglect even if material needs are met. He noted that poverty can also limit a young person's ability to dream and imagine a better life. Highlighting some of the types of discrimination faced by aboriginal and indigenous people, he noted that racism and other forms of discrimination are not inborn, but are passed down beliefs that can be changed. He stressed the importance of teaching and learning about aboriginal and indigenous people in schools and called for a celebration of diversity and acknowledgment of differences.
Mr. Juan Angel De Gouveia, a youth representative from Venezuela who is deaf, described in sign language the many discriminatory barriers that he and other children with disabilities in his country and around the world face. He felt that the specific provisions related to disabled children in the Convention on the Rights of the Child were an achievement, yet were not enough to ensure equality. He proposed a seven-point proposal for the improvement of quality of life and equal opportunities for children and adolescents with disabilities around the world and made an appeal for its implementation in the next 10 years. His proposal included ensuring the right of children with disabilities to life, to education according to needs, to work, to participate and to health, as well as some additional rights specifically geared to deaf youth, including the right to communicate through sign language, and to have access to information on televised programmes through simultaneous translation, closed captions and sign language interpretation of the country.
Michael Bach and Roberto Leal called for a new global agenda geared toward change and human rights, one that includes monitoring inclusion, engaging civil society and creating knowledge networks. More specifically, Mr. Roberto Leal described how currently, a global agenda has been imposed that harms the weakest members of communities, including those with disabilities. There is need for an alternative agenda developed at the grass roots level that provides a new model based on justice, a model that respects the rights of each boy and girl. In this model, inclusion will be the norm rather than the exception, and the values of liberty, fraternity and equality will be fostered.
Mr. Michael Bach noted that there has been a real dilemma in the "rights revolution." Economic globalization has polarized the rich and poor as well as other groups and has worked against meeting the needs and implementing the rights of children. There has been uneven progress around the world so that for example, increasingly, children in different regions are living in poverty, denied access to education, thrust into armed conflict, forced into prostitution and infected by HIV/AIDS To counter these trends, there is need for a series of next steps. These include establishing a policy dialogue for human rights, one that includes NGOs as well as governments; creating a Global Knowledge Network on Child Rights and Well-Being that would facilitate sharing strategies on advocating for the rights of children, for example; strengthening global civil society and solidarity, including creating the links that will enable NGOs to make a real difference; and monitoring for child/youth development and outcomes, including indicators on inclusion.
Several remarks and suggestions from the floor followed. Two members of the audience, including a youth representative from the Swedish delegation, called for a UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.
Beyond many lively perspectives on the array of complex issues discussed, the event was able to identify a range of specific steps for future action, several of which have already been noted above. These include the following:
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Promote an action-oriented vision of inclusion for all children, regardless of disability, gender, race/ethnicity and other factors.
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Include the voices of children with disabilities and all children in discussions of the rights and needs of children.
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Ensure that National Plans of Action give active consideration to how all commitments are fulfilled for disabled children, not just those specifically related to disability.
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Ensure legislation to protect disabled people from discrimination.
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Ensure that violence experienced by disabled children is fully addressed in the forthcoming UN study on violence.
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Engage men and boys as well as women and girls in efforts to end gender discrimination and promote gender equity; promote new models of masculinity that support gender equity. Provide support for parents and youth to break traditional gender-biased patterns.
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Counter racism against indigenous, aboriginal and other groups by teaching about differences and celebrating diversity in schools.
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Engage in meaningful policy dialogue for human rights, bringing NGOs and governments as well as children and youth together.
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Create a global knowledge network on child rights and well-being to advance inclusion and the human rights agenda.
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Involve and strengthen global civil society in support of inclusion.
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Develop and implement a coherent strategy for monitoring progress and outcomes, looking beyond morbidity and mortality to indicators of child well-being and inclusion.
Additional quotes from youth representatives:
Jennifer Jadwero (14 year old girl from Kenya):
"The role of boys and men is important in ending gender-based discrimination. If we girls and women want, we can make them part of the solution and not the problem and if we do that then we will soon can and have a world where all are equal, where all enjoy full human rights and a world without gender discrimination or violence"
Mr. Juan Angel De Gouveia (deaf youth from Venezuela):
"There are many countries in the world where there are no schools for disabled children and adolescents. In the case of blind, deaf and physically impaired children and adolescents, there is not an impediment of physical nature. Our brain works just as anyone else's. Then why is it that there are limitations to our education?" "It is unacceptable that governments have to pay incentives to employers for hiring disabled young people. To which extent is this a disguised act of discrimination? People with disabilities should be employed on the basis of their abilities and potentials".
Myron Wolf-Child (Blackfoot Indian youth from Canada)
"People are not born racist or born to discriminate - but it is taught. The solution may seem pretty obvious now: we must educate people and teach them the truth about the citizens of the world. Such a process could include: incorporating teachings of Aboriginal and Indigenous people into the textbooks of schools, encouraging governments to continue or start using accurate information about the cultural diversity in their nations and most importantly, we as individuals can take it upon ourselves to learn the truth and speak the truth."
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