Children and Youth

Mapping the city for youth migrants

Migration has often been identified as a central component of urbanisation, and with the rise of a 'mobility' paradigm, whereby movement is recognised as a rising necessity, the focus is on why people move and the nature of such movement. Novel innovations now enable our speed of movement, while services and infrastructure continues to build networks between spaces, people, and opportunities. However, in the case of Sub-Saharan Africa the question has been raised on what happens when urban agglomerations hosting migrants fail to secure livelihoods (see Bryceson, 2011)? Research in migration showcases the articulation of circular patterns of movement, rising rates of return, and greater insecurities in whether goals are achieved. Such raises an additional question - to what extent are those using, adopting, and experiencing, migration becoming stuck within such a mobility paradigm? Further, what do migrants do to get them out of this trap and achieve aspirations? Read more.

Submitted by Gemma Todd — Fri, 03/28/2014 - 11:18

Urban poverty in Zimbabwe: Unmasking severe deprivations in cities

Poverty is one of the most serious challenges facing the world today, with more than 30 percent of the world's population estimated to be living in multidimensional poverty (UNDP, 2013). In developing countries poverty has been highly associated with rural areas and hence young economically active people have moved to urban areas in the hope of getting better lives for themselves and their families. This view, especially in Zimbabwe, has changed over the last two decades as poverty has become widespread in both urban and rural areas of Zimbabwe, with poverty in urban areas increasing at a faster rate than in rural areas. Results from the Poverty Income Consumption Expenditure Survey (PICES) of 2011/12 carried out by the National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) indicate that 38 per cent per cent of urban households, and almost 47 per cent of people living in urban areas in Zimbabwe were classified as poor. Unlike rural households, urban households almost always require cash to access social services such as health and education and hence greater need for households to have secure and consistent income to meet these costs. The urban dwellers usually face costly accommodation rentals, out-of-pocket payments for health, education, water and power supplies. Urban areas are highly associated with high levels of social fragmentation resulting in declining social cohesion and increased social exclusion especially for the poor women and children. Read more.

Submitted by Editor — Mon, 02/24/2014 - 10:25

Street children in Accra: Giving voice to the voiceless

Many of Accra's street children are migrants from other parts of Ghana who followed others in the name of greener pastures. Other street children were trafficked to the city centre by older people and were left to fend for themselves. These children find ways to survive by engaging in activities ranging from being porters to selling goods on the street. The boys often earn money by shining shoes, pushing trucks, gathering refuse and carrying it to the dump site. Many also trade sex for money. In reaction to these alarming hardships, a number of important organizations are working to give these street children a voice, using a number of different approaches. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Felix Nyamedor — Mon, 02/03/2014 - 00:00

শিশুদের বিরুদ্ধে যৌন সহিংসতার চক্রের মুখোমুখি

শিশু অধিকার লঙ্ঘনের দুটি চরম প্রতিমূর্তি শিশুদের উপর যৌন নির্যাতন এবং ধর্ষণ। উভয়ই বাংলাদেশে প্রায়শই দেখা যায় এবং দুটিই গুরুতর সমস্যা হিসেবে চিহ্নিত হয়েছে। “আস্ক ডকুমেন্টেশন ইউনিট” এর একটি পরিসংখ্যানে দেখা যায় যে ২০১৩ সালের জানুয়ারী থেকে সেপ্টেম্বর মাসের মধ্যে বাংলাদেশে ৫৪ টি শিশু, ৭ থেকে ১২ বছরের মধ্যে ১০২ জন অপ্রাপ্তবয়স্ক এবং ৮৬ জন কিশোরকিশোরী ধর্ষিত হয়েছে। বলার অপেক্ষা থাকে না যে, এই পরিসংখ্যান যৌন নির্যাতনে শিকার হওয়া শিশুদের প্রকৃত সংখ্যা প্রকাশ করে না। Read more or discuss.

Submitted by Editor — Mon, 02/03/2014 - 00:00

Pusat Pelayanan Terpadu bagi anak korban kekerasan

Komisi Nasional Perlindungan Anak melaporkan sedikitnya ada 2.637 kasus kekerasan terhadap anak sepanjang tahun 2012 dan 62 persen diantaranya merupakan kekerasan seksual terhadap anak dimana mayoritas korban berasal dari kalangan ekonomi menengah ke bawah. Tren kasus kekerasan terhadap anak meningkat tiap tahunnya. Tingginya angka kekerasan ini menunjukkan betapa buruknya perlindungan anak dan minimnya kebijakan yang berpihak terhadap anak. Secara nasional, negara merespon dengan mengeluarkan undang-undang perlindungan anak yang menyatakan dengan jelas bahwa negara menjamin dan melindungi anak dan hak-haknya agar dapat hidup, tumbuh, berkembang secara optimal serta mendapat perlindungan dari kekerasan dan diskriminasi. Munculnya Undang-undang ini diikuti oleh keluarnya peraturan standar minimum pelayanan terpadu bagi perempuan dan anak korban kekerasan. Baca lebih lanjut atau bergabung dalam diskusi.

Submitted by widya anggraini — Mon, 02/03/2014 - 00:00

Incidencia para una niñez protegida

En al año 2001 se constituyó la Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México (REDIM). Es una sinergia de 73 organizaciones que buscan que se adopte la Convención de los Derechos de los Niños en los marcos legales de México y en el diseño de políticas públicas dirigidas a los niños. Leer más o discutir.

Submitted by Maria Fernanda Carvallo — Mon, 02/03/2014 - 00:00

Stopping violence against children starts in schools

In February 2010, 12-year-old Rouvanjit Rawla, a student at a prestigious school in Kolkata, committed suicide after being humiliated and caned by his principal. The Rawla incident set off a firestorm of controversy over widespread accounts of corporal punishment in India's schools - from the most elite institutions to those run by the government. The Ministry of Women and Child Development subsequently banned physical punishment of students, stating of the consequences, "The first violation of the ban will invite up to one year in jail, or a fine of Rs. 50,000 or both. For subsequent violations, imprisonment could be extended to three years with an additional fine of 25,000 rupees," says an article on the issue. Despite the measures, reports of students continuing to receive harsh physical and verbal abuses from their superiors continue to plague India's school system. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 02/03/2014 - 00:00

Redes locais no combate à violência contra as crianças

Assegurar que as crianças e adolescentes tenham seus direitos assegurados e protegidos de qualquer forma de violência deveria ser uma prioridade de todos os países. Neste sentido, Brasil vem fazendo vários esforços que envolvem a parceria entre o governo e a sociedade civil, nos níveis nacionais e municipais. Leia mais o discutir.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 02/03/2014 - 00:00

Youth focus: Can grassroots movements bring in girls' voices?

Data has emerged showcasing the latest trends of our demographic shift - the global population now articulates a 'youth bulge'. The UN-Population Demographic Profile (2010) show children, and 'youths', comprise 1.6bn, and 1.0bn, of the population in less-developed regions. The population is younger; and Sub-Saharan Africa is no exception. Attention is now turning to youths: what young people do, what opportunities they initiate for their families and nations, and what it means to be 'young' in the developing world. However, an important caveat requires recognition: the focus has been particularly male-focused. Our understanding of girls, within both public and private spaces, remains limited. Such is the debate in this blog post - if we are now looking at 'kids' in the city and development, what are the experiences of girls? What can we learn about the city through an engendered perspective? Fundamentally, who is responsible to grant equal rights? Two models of intervention are discussed be, each using alternative methods to provide rights for girls. However, each acts to reinforce the need to improve our understandings on 'being' a girl. Read more.

Submitted by Gemma Todd — Mon, 01/20/2014 - 10:08

Riset untuk aksi di Johar Baru, Jakarta Pusat

Riset untuk aksi di Johar Baru, Jakarta Pusat

Jati Baru adalah sebuah kecamatan miskin dan padat penduduk di Jakarta Pusat. Kemiskinan, eksklusi social dan tawuran anak muda telah menjadi cirri-ciri umum dari komunitas kumuh ini. Didorong oleh keinginan untuk mencari jalan keluar dari masalah sisial yang akut ini beberapa orang staf pengajar dari departemen sosiologi Universitas Indonesia menyusun strategi berdasarkan temuan penelitian yang mereka lakukan tahun 2012. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami proses-proses yang bersifat sistemik dari penyakit sosial sebagaimana yang tercermin dari tawuran antar kelompok anak muda ini terjadi. Dengan asumsi bahwa fenomena tawuran adalah refleksi frustrasi terhadap aturan-aturan yang dipaksakan oleh otoritas formal di pilihlah sebuah pendekatan penelitian yang memanfaatkan metode kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Riwanto Tirtosudarmo — Wed, 12/04/2013 - 12:47

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