EDUCO URGES GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE CHILDREN’S OPINIONS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN TAKING ACTION AGAINST COVID-19
November 20, 2020 – To mark World Children’s Day, which is celebrated this Friday, Educo urges governments to listen to children and take their opinions into account, especially now that children are experiencing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Measures approved by governments, like lockdowns and school closures, have changed the lives of children and adolescents overnight. We understand that these measures have been necessary for avoiding the spread of the virus. But now it is important to listen to children, to find out how their lives are affected by the measures taken by governments and take children into account when making new decisions”, explains the organization’s Country Director Olga Rodriguez. Educo also points out that the right to be heard is included in article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The NGO has gathered the opinions of the children who take part in their projects in the 14 countries it works in, and they all feel that they have not been taken into account over the last few months. Stephanie, from the Philippines, shared her concerns on how children can cope with the changes and restrictions. In other countries we work in, children such as Leonor from Bolivia explains, “nobody asked us whether or not we wanted the school year to end”. Similarly, Izamar, from Nicaragua, says “in my community all decisions are taken by adults”, without taking children into account.
The organization also warns once again about the worsening of the living conditions of children all over the world due to coronavirus, especially those in vulnerable situations. Educo warns that the estimates point to a significant increase in poverty, school dropouts, and violence suffered by children. Equally, employment and economic insecurity associated with the pandemic is likely to lead to an increase in child labor, sexual exploitation of girls and adolescents, teenage pregnancy, and child marriage. “The decisions taken now by adults to manage this crisis will have an impact on the present and the future of millions of children”, indicates Rodriguez. “They have demonstrated throughout the pandemic that they are the first to comply with measures. They have a lot to contribute and that is why we must listen to them”.
The NGO recalls the advances made over the last 30 years which have improved the lives and the wellbeing of children at risk. For this reason, the organization believes it is important to act as soon as possible to reverse this situation and that children should be involved in the decision-making, as no one knows how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their lives better than they do.
About Educo:
Educo is a global development NGO focused on education and child protection which works in 14 countries carrying out projects which include participation from more than 800,000 children and young people.
