Campaign to Stop Discrimination and Violence against Girls
This United Nations Children's Fund - UNICEF - initiative is an effort to engage young people, worldwide, in responding to the question: "If you were the head of your country for one day, what would you do for girls?" The Working Group on Girls and UNICEF-sponsored Voices of Youth (VOY)-led project involves broadly circulating a document detailing strategies designed by experts on how discrimination and violence against girls should be stopped - and then seeking the input of young people on the document, and potential ways forward.
In September 2006, a group of experts on the situation of girls throughout the world came together in Italy to gather their thoughts on what the world and its leaders can do to support girls. The participatory version of this report will be presented during the February 26 - March 9 2007 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN Headquarters in New York and will be used to inform the discussions and final recommendations of the member governments; the initiative summarised here is an effort to engage young people in this process, so that their experiences, recommendations, and suggestions can be presented.
In September 2006, a group of experts on the situation of girls throughout the world came together in Italy to gather their thoughts on what the world and its leaders can do to support girls. The participatory version of this report will be presented during the February 26 - March 9 2007 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN Headquarters in New York and will be used to inform the discussions and final recommendations of the member governments; the initiative summarised here is an effort to engage young people in this process, so that their experiences, recommendations, and suggestions can be presented.
Communication Strategies
This initiative centres around the printed, email, and online circulation of a 17-page document - in languages including Arabic, English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Swahili - which discusses why and how girls are in danger of violence and unfair treatment, and suggests ways in which governments, and their citizens can protect them from violence and discrimination. The goal is to create a youth version of the CSW report through an interactive, participatory process in which young people around the world read and respond to the document in order to enhance future discussions. The idea is that it is children/youth themselves who know their issues best - and who have very clear, and potentially very valuable, ideas about how to solve problems.
The document, which is available in many languages (and online) to ensure wide access, is meant to be user-friendly; it includes various sections, categorised by issue (laws and policies; discrimination; invisible girls; empowerment), followed by the "experts" recommendations and then questions designed to spur readers' own thinking about what strategies should be pursued. A key prompt for young readers is to think about what might be missing from the various lists of recommendations, and to then share which strategies they would propose to fill in any "holes".
An accompanying Facilitator's Guide provides concise guidance to those seeking to carry out a focus group discussion (FGD) in conjunction with the Campaign to Stop Discrimination and Violence against Girls.
The document, which is available in many languages (and online) to ensure wide access, is meant to be user-friendly; it includes various sections, categorised by issue (laws and policies; discrimination; invisible girls; empowerment), followed by the "experts" recommendations and then questions designed to spur readers' own thinking about what strategies should be pursued. A key prompt for young readers is to think about what might be missing from the various lists of recommendations, and to then share which strategies they would propose to fill in any "holes".
An accompanying Facilitator's Guide provides concise guidance to those seeking to carry out a focus group discussion (FGD) in conjunction with the Campaign to Stop Discrimination and Violence against Girls.
Development Issues
Girls, Rights.
Key Points
According to organisers, "Every day, in every part of the world, girls are kept out of school, hit, ignored, forced to marry and have sex, sold as slaves, made to fight in wars and asked to sit silently while decisions are made for them - about them. These are all violations of their rights."
The Working Group on Girls (WCG) of the NGO Committee on UNICEF and its international Network on Girls is a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) committed to promoting the rights of girls in all areas and stages of their lives and assisting girls to develop their full potential. Voices of Youth (VOY) is an internet portal created by UNICEF which links children and young people from over 180 countries in an effort to help them together explore, discuss, and take action on complex human rights and development issues.
To participate in the campaign (by January 15 2007), visit the Voices of Youth website and click on "Stop discrimination and violence against girls" to fill in the online questionnaire in your language of choice. Or email voy@unicef.org with "Stop discrimination and violence against girls" in the subject line.
The Working Group on Girls (WCG) of the NGO Committee on UNICEF and its international Network on Girls is a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) committed to promoting the rights of girls in all areas and stages of their lives and assisting girls to develop their full potential. Voices of Youth (VOY) is an internet portal created by UNICEF which links children and young people from over 180 countries in an effort to help them together explore, discuss, and take action on complex human rights and development issues.
To participate in the campaign (by January 15 2007), visit the Voices of Youth website and click on "Stop discrimination and violence against girls" to fill in the online questionnaire in your language of choice. Or email voy@unicef.org with "Stop discrimination and violence against girls" in the subject line.
Sources
Email from Liv Elin Indreiten to The Communication Initiative on December 7 2006; and Campaign page on the VOY website.
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