Child participation

Children have the right to take part in decisions that affect their lives, but all too often their involvement is limited or non-existent.

Attempts by adults to solve children’s problems are unlikely to succeed without taking into account the first hand experience of young people.

Plan’s Child Centred Community Development approach helps millions of children to learn about their rights and take an active role in their communities’ development. We work with children, their families and communities to identify problems and implement solutions.

Plan works to strengthen the capacity of children and youths to demand and realise their rights in homes, communities, at school and from the State.

From helping children to speak out on domestic violence to supporting youth delegates at international AIDS conferences, Plan helps children to engage in citizenship, express their views and influence decision-makers.

Vulnerable children

To ensure the participation of all children, we also deliver targeted programmes that reach the most marginalised and vulnerable groups.

In Egypt, for example, our awareness-raising programme involving disabled children in Cairo has had a dramatic impact on their lives. Stigma associated with disability has slowly vanished from the community and parents no longer lock up their disabled children or abandon them in the streets. Now children with and without disabilities are allowed to interact with each other.

• Learn about Plan's child media work