Child development facilitating participatory policy formulation

Kailash Satyarthi "It is important for policy framers to strategise on how people’s agency at the ground level can be enhanced and harnessed and woven into the developmental plans. It is not difficult to figure out that despite the best of intentions, numerous governmental policies failed to pick up, as they were framed without keeping the ground realities in mind, or consulting grassroots voices." Child labour According to the child labour statistics published by International Labour Organisation (ILO), over 246 million children around the world are engaged in some form of economic activity. In other words, about one in every six children in the age group of 5 to 14 years is a child labourer. About 179 million of them are employed in what has been termed as “hazardous work,” which means work that is unsafe, unhealthy, or hazardous to the mental, emotional and physical development of the child. Nearly 8.4 million of these children are involved in unconditional forms of child labour that is in, some form of armed conflict, prostitution or pornography or other illicit activities. These figures are grossly understated due to the invisible nature of child labour. Presently of course, child labour has started receiving considerable attention. Most countries have legislation as well as compulsory education laws. At the international level, the most significant ones have been the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child (1989) and the two ILO Conventions, Convention no. 138 on the minimum age (1973) and Convention No. 182 (1999) on the worst forms of child labour. The laws and conventions reflect a recognition that child labour is a serious and complex phenomenon that takes various forms, has diverse underlying causes and different meanings in different cultural contexts. Child labour and MDG’s It is true that child labour is associated with poverty, so policies that alleviate poverty are likely to have beneficial outcomes in mitigating child labour as well. However empirical research has shown that poverty not only causes child labour, it is also a consequence of child labour. It is apparent that most working children come from poor families. Their parents belong to the unorganised sector, most of them are unskilled or semi skilled, illiterate, unemployed or partially employed and had been child labourers themselves. Thus, the economic losses associated with child labour and their implications are transmitted through generations. The most relevant loss would be the substantial loss of future income that these child labourers would incur. Studies have concluded that eliminating child labour and putting these children to school would concretely help in poverty reduction in the future. In most countries, there exists a clear relationship between child labour and adult unemployment. Most employers desire children as labourers over adults as the comparative wages for children are much lower, they do not protest, they can be made to work for longer hours without proper compensation and they have no collective bargaining power. This leads to rampant unemployment in adults. The market failure that arises when employers prefer to employ children instead of adults can be corrected to a major extent by motivating the employers through strict legislation that prohibits child labour. Literacy is a key development indicator. The goal of education for all cannot be achieved if 246 million children are forced to choose work over education. There is a danger of many future generations being totally illiterate or semi literate, if today’s children are not pulled out of work and placed in schools. A lot of children are simultaneously working and attending schools. Studies indicate a strong negative effect of child labour on school attendance, test scores and even the completion of academic years (Orazem and Gunnarsson, 2003). Since responsibility for household chores typically falls on girls in most countries, estimates of involvement in work based solely on economic activity are likely to understate girls’ participation in work in relation to that of boys. Of the 150 million children aged between six to eleven who don’t attend primary school, over 90 million are girls. Meeting the education goal, therefore, requires that the distinctive conditions preventing girls or boys from attending or completing primary school be addressed. Reducing education costs, improving quality, tackling parental concerns about female modesty or safety and increasing the returns to families that invest in female schooling are factors that can overcome social and economic barriers to girls’ education. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2 is essential for achieving MDG 1; eliminating gender disparities in education can be one of the most effective poverty reduction strategies. The 3rd, 4th and 5th MDGs of gender equality and women empowerment, reduced child mortality and improved maternal health respectively, are also linked to education. Women/girls need education to stress for equal rights and to be empowered as decision makers. There is also strong evidence of the impact of female education on child mortality. Schultz (1994) finds that a one-year increase in female educational attainment would increase child survival by about 1.5 per cent. Schultz (1997) uses different specifications, which yield quite similar estimates suggesting that an additional year of female education reduces child mortality by 12 –14 per 1000. Greater education increases a woman’s awareness which improves her ability to promote the health of her children (World Bank 1993) and greater bargaining power increases her say over household resources which often lead to greater allocations to child health, nutrition and education. The 6th MDG of combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases has an obvious correlation to education. Awareness and knowledge through education are the only known weapons to defeat the AIDS epidemic. There may be cures available for malaria and other diseases, but education is the medium through which these cures would become available to the potential victims. It is only through education that AIDS awareness levels can be raised. According to the Oxfam report of 2004, seven million cases of HIV/ AIDS can be avoided in the coming decade if all children had access to education. The 7th MDG aims to ensure environmental sustainability. Education increases awareness about the environment and the relevance of preserving it for our future generations. Similarly we cannot think of the 8th MDG that talks about a global partnership for development, in a world plagued by evils like economic inequalities, injustice, exploitation and poverty. In developing countries, children who work remain deprived of education, which results in enormous economic and human development loss. Child labour in India Children in poorer segments of the rural society in India, remain not only a cheap source of labour supply for agriculture but also for non-farm occupations. If there is some scope for employment, they work in agriculture as part of their family farms or as wage labourer. In arid zones, they join other non-farm occupations like stone quarries, beedi-making, handlooms/ powerlooms, brick kilns, mining and so on. The third alternative is to migrate either with their families or alone to urban areas in search of employment. In many cases these children end up as shelterless destitutes and engage in illegal activities. Most of the working children in urban areas are migrants from rural areas. The problem of child labour in India is thus, essentially a problem of the rural and urban poor. To effectively handle the problem of child labour, we need to understand the intricacies and the interdependence of various social and economic factors. Many schemes and policies have been in place for years without much success. It is crucial to involve the children in the process of their own development. Simultaneously, the community needs to be sensitised towards the problems that children face and the reasons that keep the children away from school. In short, the children need to have a say in the policies concerning their welfare. Children’s participation and empowerment It is key to a balanced approach towards development. This approach emphasises the participation of poor people in development; social inclusion and equal access for all; and supporting their respective governments in meeting their obligations under International Law (Department for International Development, 2000). This right-based approach as part of inclusive democracy expands development objectives beyond physical assets and income growth. Placing the interests of the child first and seeking ways to involve children and families in solutions, allows for a better understanding of the complex phenomenon of child labour, as it varies by location, cultural context and sector. As the International community rallies around the MDGs as an overall indicator of development; child labour stands as a serious obstacle to achieving a number of goals. Child labour elimination is an essential pre-requisite and key to the realization of four out of the eight key MDGs and negatively affects the other four. Understanding ‘participation’ The issue of “children’s participation” has been receiving increasing attention in national and international deliberations in view of the fact that the problems that are being faced by children are best known and understood by the children themselves. However, there is still a widespread feeling that the right of the child to a life characterised by active participation in the planned development process is being grossly ignored, if not violated. Participation is part of, what is possibly, the “five point continuum scale of social concern,” which includes protection, care, participation, integration, and empowerment. India needs to think beyond the first two points on the scale – protection and care – to enable children to be part of an ideal “society for all ages.” Child participation could be defined as the action or involvement of children in policy making, nation building and other general issues affecting human beings on earth. An example of “child participation” would ideally be children being given chances to voice their inputs about environmental issues and helping with small things like speaking to friends and family and helping to make people aware of what the child’s concerns for the environment are. Child participation entails much more than just the active involvement of children in activities and issues that concern only children. It involves child empowerment that is giving the child the power and authority to get involved in activities touching all the aspects of his life. Conclusively, child participation would encompass full involvement and utilisation of the four main arms of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (survival, development, participation and protection). Participation means being listened to as an equal and being taken seriously regardless of age. In most parts of the world however, this is not an accepted norm. This writer, however, holds the opinion that child participation will further enhance various development processes. Merriam - Webster, Inc. 2001 defines participation as “the state of being related to a larger whole.” Child participation would thus mean allowing children to have a say and take part in issues, which they find relevance and interest in. This means permitting them in an audience, as members of dialogue or at the very least, discussion prior to decision making so that their opinions may influence adult decisions. We must recognise them as part of the greater whole of human kind. Participatory policy formation The effective implementation of policy depends on a realistic situational analysis, assessment, involvement and ownership of the stakeholders plus a transparent and accountable monitoring mechanism. In reality, most of our policies are designed, implemented and monitored by a section of society that is the domineering section of a power play or ruling elite. Their socio-economic backgrounds, perception and worldview clubbed with career and monetary gains keep them far away from the aspirations of those masses for which the policy is designed. The translation of policy to programme is thus dominated by a small group which possesses information and knowledge, resources and decisive manpower. In a deeper democratic framework of policy formation, the participation of affected people has to be a pre-requisite or a pre condition. Such thought processes have to be countered if we aim for truly effective development. Some pertinent questions that we need to answer are, “What will help in improving the life of people? What should be the priorities? Where should the resources be chanelised? What will lead to equity and justice in a short span of time? Who will control the process and who will define the outcome and success? Who will determine the cost benefits? This would be a more appropriate way of policy formulation. There is a need to find a way where power, participation and information can be interlocked in a functional system. Information has to be shared for its dissemination and decentralisation. This is the first underlying principle. Modern technologies have to be made child and youth friendly, easily accessible and more accessible to the general population at large, including children. Technologies that facilitate participation Disseminating information across vast distances in remote areas or even to areas populated by the urban poor is the most important ingredient of effective participation. However, the process can be cost-prohibitive. The delivery of information and educational programming becomes more complex because of socio-cultural and linguistic diversity and underdeveloped infrastructure. Fortunately, today there are suitable technological tools that can be tapped in even the remotest and least developed regions. But an effective approach needs to combine on-site and distance delivery to provide the advantages of both. Some of the minimal-investment, low-cost alternatives are: Satellite video: Delivery through low-cost satellite dishes, receiver, and television gives communities access to educational programming as well as other satellite television signals. For example, strategic placement of a television in a school or community center can have enormous impact on the learning potential in a classroom, allowing on-demand content streaming at any time of the day or week. Broadcast telelevision: Community development or educational programming can be rebroadcast using existing television broadcast stations. While not as customisable as satellite video, the television stations can rebroadcast the same development programmes different times to target the largest possible audience. Satellite radio/ broadcast radio: Delivery by very low-cost satellite radios gives communities access to educational programming as well as other satellite radio signals. For example, programmes earlier presented in formalclassrooms could be transmitted directly in rural areas to reach children in the afternoons during planting or harvesting seasons or the government could advertise proposed policies for children, over the radio and encourage participation. Rebroadcast of the educational and/or community development programming on radio stations makes the information accessible with the cheapest possible equipment: a simple transistor radio, already in place in most communities. Multimedia: Information/education service providers can supply CDROMs, VCDs, and DVDs on community development, which can be accessed through a computer. Computers placed in a school or community center can provide the required education and community development information as stand-alone training or can supplement other training mediums. Print materials: This includes books, flyers, brochures and pamphlets on community development. Printed materials can serve as textbooks or supplemental information for any of the other mediums described above. This is possibly the most effective ‘awareness’ instrument in the Indian context. Satellite Internet: Information dissemination via low-cost satellite dish (or antenna), receiver, and computer gives communities ‘receive-only’ Internet access. For example, receive-only Internet access equips the community to download content and curriculum for the classroom, environment information, suitable crop options, proposed governmental policies etc. Technology translation for policy makers Over the last 25 years, the writer’s experience of freeing children from bondage and slavery, has underlined the need of considering the micro workings of development. It is important for policy framers to strategise on how people’s agency at the ground level can be enhanced and harnessed and woven into the developmental plans. It is not difficult to figure out that despite the best of intentions, numerous governmental policies have failed to pick up, because they were framed without keeping the ground realities in mind, or consulting grassroots voices. The same applies to plans and policies for children. To achieve the best results, it is imperative to account for the needs and perspectives of the children of this world. This has been made increasingly easy with the latest technologies available, some of which have been mentioned here. The delivery of information and educational programming becomes more complex because of socio-cultural and linguistic diversity and underdeveloped infrastructure. Fortunately, today there are suitable technological tools that can be tapped in even the remotest and least developed regions. To achieve the best results, it is imperative to account for the needs and perspectives of the children of this world. This has been made increasingly easy with the latest technologies available, some of which have been mentioned here. Personal computers and the Information Superhighway are rapidly transforming India. Already, the Internet has made vast amounts of information available at an unprecedented speed. When this revolution making itself fully felt in schools; teachers and students will have virtually instantaneous access to vast amounts of information and a wide range of learning tools. The ability to retrieve information from anywhere or to communicate with anyone on the Internet amplifies the information, interactions, and computing power available to teachers and students. This phenomenon makes computers especially useful for research and relevant research is the basis of effective policy formulation. Web technology also assist polls over the Internet, and accounts better for the opinions of children about proposed policies and encourages children to rely on their innovative wisdom and experience to offer solutions to problems that continue to plague our society. Indeed, it is time now for a participatory process of development, which would mean to set in place a process through which stakeholders influence and share control over priority setting, policy-making, resource allocations and access to public goods and services. Author: Kailash Satyarthi is the President of ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’, an NGO in India.

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