In Pakistan, children are often absent from the process of developing the rights of the child, with decisions generally shaped by experts, decision -makers and activists.
This adult -centered approach, warns experts, does not reflect the experiences and lived needs of children, soaring both the relevance and efficiency of policies intended to protect them.
“When policies are designed only from the point of view of adults, they often do not align with the age, interests and needs of children,” said an expert in the rights of the child. “This results in a low commitment and a low implementation.”
However, promising signs of emerging change. A notable example is Abihah Batool, 16, a student from Lahore and an active member of a children’s forum.
She recently represented Pakistan during the annual United Nations Children’s Rights Convention in Geneva, where she pleaded for a complete social protection program for children.
She also met the Minister of Punjab with Human Rights, the president of the Office of Child Protection and Well-Being, and a member of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) to submit a request charter developed by children.
“Schools with national consultations and even global platforms, children in Pakistan have shown that they can speak with information, sincerity and moral courage – if only they have the opportunity,” said Abihah. She stressed that social stigma, institutional weaknesses and token inclusion continue to obstruct a significant participation in children.
Ayesha Raza Khan, president of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), shared that Pakistan opens the way in the South Asian region including two children as members of the Commission.
“We have also established an advisory panel for children with a representation from across the country,” she noted. “It is crucial that when we are talking about protection and child rights, we start by listening to the children themselves.
Their perspectives must be taken seriously. She underlined a recent case of the Supreme Court on the child care as a monument, where, for the first time, the court asked for the preferences of children on the parents with whom they wanted to live after the separation.
Iftikhar Mubarak, Executive Director of the Research of Justice, highlighted article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which guarantees each child the right to express their point of view on the questions which affected them and to be taken these opinions seriously.
“This means creating safe, inclusive and effective platforms where children can talk about critical issues such as education, violence, environmental change, gender equality and mental health.”
Despite these developments, child protection institutions across Pakistan – including Punjab – are dominated by adult professionals, with little or no representation of the children themselves.
Experts argue that this exclusion not only hinders the development of children in terms of trust, leadership and civic responsibility, but also hides serious problems such as sexual abuse and domestic violence.
“When children are excluded from the development of policies that have an impact on them, they feel alienated from society, which can lead to long -term inequalities,” said experts.
They urge decision -makers to guarantee the significant inclusion of children as a fundamental principle to build effective, inclusive and sustainable protective frameworks.
