Another post prompted by a mix of current events and my current research. If you like it, share it. Because children’s rights are worth talking about.
The Canadian federal election campaign continues to evade talk of children’s rights. As the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children notes, any discussion about issues affecting children invariably gets discussed from an adult lens, without reference to children’s rights or children’s views. Political expediency demands talking only to potential voters—and children can’t vote. If governments were to take children’s rights seriously, what might a children’s rights election platform look like?
I was inspired to think about the election in this way by an academic article that argues for treating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (child-friendly PDF) as “a social and political platform.” How this translates into policy is complex. I’ll stick to a handful of ideas that are within federal jurisdiction, since it’s a federal election, and that are already in the works to a certain extent, even if the federal parties might not be talking about them.
Lowering the federal voting age to 16 is an idea that has been picking up support. There was a Bill in the Senate seeking to make it a reality before the election was called. The guarantee in section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that “every citizen” has the right to vote arguably includes every child who is a Canadian citizen, and not just those 16 to 18 years old, but progress is better than nothing.
A national children’s commissioner could be a game-changer for children’s rights in Canada. The Senate was also working on a Bill to make this happen before the election was called. A national commissioner would bring a children’s rights lens to all federal programs and policy, and provide recommendations to politicians and bureaucrats alike to better respect children. It could also work with provincial child and youth advocates to ensure policy coherence for children across jurisdictions.
Taking reconciliation with Indigenous peoples seriously is also a matter of children’s rights. The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society has been battling on behalf of Indigenous children for years. While the Canadian government finally passed legislation to formally implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, what matters is what happens next.
Keeping child immigrants and refugees in mind when responding to international crises would demonstrate solidarity with children around the world and better respect Canada’s international obligations. The recent rushed withdrawal from Afghanistan separated children from families, including the children of Afghans who worked with Canadians. Leaving children to fend for themselves in unsafe conditions is wrong.
Legally implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child would be an obvious step to advancing children’s rights in Canada. Despite having ratified the Convention in 1991, it hasn’t been incorporated into federal or provincial law in any systematic way. Improvements have been made in youth criminal justice, family law, and child protection, especially around the idea of the best interests of the child, but there are still huge gaps in implementation.
There are lots of other possibilities—meaningful action on climate change, anyone?—but you get the idea. If today’s politicians can’t be bothered to talk about and to their future voters, why would those future voters trust them when they finally get the chance to cast their ballots?
For those wondering why I left out child care and early learning, that’s technically part of provincial jurisdiction over education. But it was a hot topic at the start of the election, and has clear links to children’s rights.
Here again are some links children’s rights advocacy resources as the election comes into the home stretch:
Thank you for sharing this.