The Importance of Being Vocal

By Yusra Ali

The Child Rights Movement in Pakistan celebrates success when the government of Pakistan ratifies several child protection protocols.

It’s important to be vocal to engage a wide audience; results are achieved only when the message is transparent enough to convey the exact meaning.

It is the success of the advocacy of the Child Rights Movements (CRM) that motivated the government of Pakistan to the ratify the Optional Protocol on the involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and a second one on the sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, adopted from the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child. The carefully planned execution of the campaign was so impactful that in a matter of just seven months the government of Pakistan ratified the optional protocol(s).

CRM was established by a group of child focused NGOs in Pakistan with the aim to work jointly for the promotion and protection of child rights in Pakistan. In December 2010 CRM launched an advocacy campaign to motivate the government to ratify the optional protocol. World Vision being part of the core committee played a vital role in advocating for the campaign. It not only provided financial and technical assistance but also helped bridge gaps between the government functionaries and the CRM.

Advocacy is often seldom given any recognition, due to this CRM designed and planned very strong communications and lobbying tools and techniques to reach the audience and produce positive results. From the very onset of planning, CRM involved civil society organizations and networks, child protection organizations, government officials and various opinion leaders.

“Change can only happen when people realize their own worth and power they hold, this can only be made possible by access to Information,”

CRM developed and endorsed a post card campaign, with their resolution printed on it. World Vision endorsed the campaign and ensured the campaign was followed through completely. World Vision forwarded the post cards to various advocacy groups (based in their areas of operation), child protection organizations, farmer groups, and activists, whose responsibility was to sign the post card and forward it to the Foreign Minister of Pakistan as well as to the Prime Minister. “Change can only happen when people realize their own worth and power they hold, this can only be made possible by access to Information,” said Sarmad Iqbal, Advocacy Program Manager.

The exercise had 100% success: the government not only ratified the protocol in July 2011, but also included it in the Human Rights of Pakistan. Further to this ratification, presently the protocol is being translated into local laws, strengthening the National Child Protection Center (NCPC) and Child Protection and Welfare Bureaus (CPWB). This is in fact the implementation of the optional protocol designed by the UN, and marks a success for the coordinated efforts of the Civil Society Organizations.

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