CAC-Members in Nepal share their messages with goverment officials
Our Time to Talk!-partner CWISH shared a great video, which shows the participation and advocacy-work of the members of the Child Advisory Committee-Members in Nepal. The video also highlights problems of child labor in Nepal for example the case of Abda Khatun who produces mini-cigars for twelve years. This case not only shows, that child labour affects the ability to study but also the health affection for children in child labour. In contrast to Abda Kathun, her brothers do not have to work with mini-cigars, they have jobs outside and are not equally physically affected. This clearly shows a gender based discrimination. On the other side, Abda Kathun also states, that her work supports her studies in terms of providing enough money for materials.
CWISH orgainzed meetings of CAC every three to four months, where children from different fields of work came together and discussed problems within their work. For example: negligence in children´s health, security and education while they work in brick factories, negligence of labor laws by not giving appointment letter and minimal wages but also some situations where they face sexual harassment.
But the children were very succesfull with bringing their messages forward to government officials, sometimes even to the prime minister and president of their country.
Key messages for polticial stakeholders
The children drafted messages to present to political stakeholders, these are:
- A strong agreement between employees and employer
- An effective implementation of formulated laws
- Assurance of basic need including education and health
- Give special consideration to poverty alleviation programs to improve the families’ economic condition
- Efficiency in birth certification
- Impart knowledge to parents about childrens rights
More insights and impressions of the important work of the CAC-members and our partner CWISH are in the mentioned video:
CWISH (Children and Women in Social Services and Human Rights) is a nonprofit organization, established in 1993 with an aim to ensure social justice, protection and promotion of human rights especially the rights of children. In order to achieve this aim, it has been working in three programmatic pillars: Child Protection, Rights To Education and Family Empowerment.