"We Have a Voice": Children's Perspectives of Their Rights and The UNCRC

Abstract

The Government of Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1991, assuring that it will implement the terms into its domestic law. These rights include Article 42, which requires state parties to ensure that children and adults are aware of children’s rights under the convention. This paper investigates how children aged 9-11 in Toronto, Canada, express their understandings and perspectives as they relate to children’s rights and the UNCRC. Using a qualitative, participatory approach, the study engaged children through a range of child-centred methods, including focus groups, embodied tableaux, puppetry, poster-making, and draw-and-tell activities. The findings reveal children’s understandings and interpretations of their rights. Through discussions and participatory activities, child participants reported limited prior knowledge of the UNCRC and children’s rights, a recognition of children’s reliance on adults to uphold and protect their rights, and feelings of personal responsibility in protecting their privacy rights online. Additionally, children proposed suggestions to further strengthen children’s rights documents and better align with their experiences in the contemporary context, focusing on three main areas: outdoor experiences, opportunities for social interaction, and digital access.