Position Paper
Child Rights
Context
Children are rights holders and central to Nepal’s sustainable development and social transformation. Ensuring the survival, protection, development, and participation of all children is both a constitutional obligation and a moral imperative. In Lumbini Province, many children continue to face poverty, violence, exploitation, and exclusion, particularly those from marginalized, and climate-vulnerable communities.
Siddhartha Social Development Centre (SSDC) affirms its commitment to advancing child rights through inclusive, rights-based, and child-centered approaches that protect children’s dignity, safety, and future.
Child Rights Context in Lumbini Province
Children in Lumbini Province face multiple and intersecting challenges, including, child marriage, especially among adolescent girls; child labor in agriculture, brick kilns, domestic work, and informal sectors, school dropout and learning loss, linked to poverty, migration, and disasters; violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation, often under-reported; malnutrition and poor access to health and WASH services; and impact of climate shocks (floods, heatwaves) on education, nutrition, and safety.These challenges are intensified by weak child protection systems, limited service coverage, and social norms that normalize harmful practices.
Problem Statement
Despite strong legal frameworks, including the Constitution of Nepal and the Child Rights Act, 2018, significant gaps remain in implementation at local levels. They include; limited capacity and resourcing of local child protection mechanisms; weak coordination among education, health, police, and social services; low awareness of child rights among parents, caregivers, and communities; inadequate participation of children in decisions affecting their lives and insufficient child-sensitive planning, budgeting, and data at local government level.
SSDC’s Priority Areas for Action
Child Protection: Prevention and response to violence, abuse, exploitation, child marriage, and child labor through strengthened child protection systems.
Inclusive Education and Development: Ensuring equitable access to quality, safe, and inclusive education, including for out-of-school children.
Health, Nutrition, and Well-Being: Promoting child health, nutrition, mental well-being, and access to WASH services, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Child Participation and Civic Engagement: Creating safe spaces and platforms for children and adolescents to express their views and influence decisions.
Child-Friendly Governance: Supporting local governments to plan, budget, and deliver services that respond to children’s needs and rights.
SSDC’s Position and Commitments
SSDC asserts that child rights must be central to development, governance, and humanitarian action. We therefore commit to:
- Strengthening community-based child protection mechanisms
- Preventing child marriage and child labor through advocacy for norm change and economic support
- Supporting safe, inclusive, and resilient education systems
- Promoting meaningful participation of children and adolescents
- Building capacity of local governments and service providers
- Advocating for effective implementation of child-focused laws and policies