Wheel of change: children and young people's participation in south Asia

Over the past 10 years, children and young people's participation has been the subject of considerable interest both within and outside UNICEF. This interest has been triggered, in large part, by a growing recognition of the significance of Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the right of the child to express views and have them taken seriously. In response to this key principle, a wide range of practice has been developed to explore approaches to promoting greater involvement of children in processes and decisions that impact on their lives. UNICEF, at the global, regional and national levels has played a key part in this process.

However, knowledge and understanding of effective models of child participation is still very much at an experimental stage. The concept is still relatively unfamiliar within the region, and there is a growing demand for more evidence on the outcomes associated with participation, practical guidance on effective methodologies, better tools for monitoring and evaluation and strategies for replication. Accordingly, UNICEF, Regional Office for South Asia (UNICEF ROSA) has undertaken a phased study on child participation in the region. The study comprises a broad-based country overview of the range and nature of participatory initiatives, coupled with an analysis of the legal, policy, social, economic and cultural context within which such developments are taking place. This was followed up with a more in-depth study into selected examples of good practices. The final stage was the production of regional synthesis, providing an analysis of the current state of development in children and young people's participation in South Asia, and drawing out the lessons learned for future investment in strengthening UNICEF's contribution in partnership with relevant organisations in this field.