Child Friendly Protection Procedures: A Case Study

Session Structure Welcome and Introduction Presentation: Child participation & child protection Getting children’s views Problems with procedures: interviews Ideas for change Roles for children Questions and answers

Session Objectives Explore child participation / child protection link. Share some child friendly methods. Show importance of child friendly protection procedures. Explore children’s roles.

Child Protection and Participation ‘true protection of children requires all rights, including their participation rights, to be respected’ (Powell and Smith, 2009:137) ‘denying children a voice encourages impunity for abusers’ (Lansdown, 2001:3)

Child Protection and Participation ‘The right to participation is the most radical and far reaching of children’s rights but also the most violated and disregarded in almost every aspect of children’s lives’ (Shier, 2001:108)

Children’s Peace Prize Winner 2010 ‘I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about children’s life in refugee camps... There are still children who are not capacitated yet to have self-esteem to talk about issues which concern them, to ensure the community and the world provides both moral and material support and help to solve their problems which they are facing…’

Children’s Peace Prize Winner 2010 …I would love to see agencies/ organizations which deal with children protection ensures that seminars and campaigns are conducted in order that children are capacitated to be able to express their problems and to be heard.’ (Child from refugee camp in Tanzania)

UNHCR Policy & Practice ‘Children’s specific views need to be increasingly incorporated into the organisation’s understanding and delivery of its core protection work’ (Valid International, 2002) Child participation as ‘integral to protection’ and need for ‘child friendly procedures’ (UNHCR Framework, 2012)

Research Focus To what extent are (refugee) children participating in their own protection? Is the (refugee) protection process child friendly? What, if anything, needs to change?

Fieldwork: Kyaka II, Uganda

Child Friendly Methods: Getting Children’s Views on Protection

Research Activity Participatory sessions Adult workshops Children’s groups Interviews Observation

Playing Games…

Making Puppets…

Talking About Refugee Protection…

Drawing Together…

Mapping The Protection Process….

‘Body Mapping’ – Protection Concerns

Protection Statements: Agree/Disagree?

‘Puppet’ Show On Protection…

Getting Certificates…

Problems – Protection Interviews

Problems Faced…

Protection Interviews - Observation Busy office / distractions. Traditional format / environment. Not varied / creative. Reliance on form. Lack child friendly translation / information.

Practitioners’ Comments ‘Children don’t give their views in the refugee protection process… and yet, children might be having more important information than adults…’ ‘In some situations…the child may witness something the parents may not…if we don’t sit down to talk to these children, we shall miss that information.’

Ideas for Change – Protection Interviews

Child Friendly Interviews Practical support. Building relationship. Environment. Child friendly interview skills. Working together. Creative, activity and play based process. Children supporting children.

Child Friendly Interview

Drawing while waiting….

Both busy…

Child friendly interview room…

Home visit…

Getting to know you…

Drawing the family…

Journey mapping…

How children can help children…

Some considerations…any questions?

Conclusion – some considerations Working on child protection but in child friendly and participatory ways? How are things done and is this the best way to do them for children? How gather and respond to children’s views on protection procedures? What would more child friendly procedures look like?

Contact Details: Skype: annaskeelsie Mob: +44 (0) rg/projects/small-grants/CMPR