Assessment of the implementation of children’s right to participation in decision – making : a case of families in Gulu District, Northern Uganda

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the implementation of children's right to participate in decision-making processes within families in Gulu District, Northern Uganda. The key respondents in this study were children aged between seven to seventeen years old and their parents or caregivers. The study was carried out in five (5) villages in Gulu district that were sampled from the sub-counties of Pece, Layibi, Laroo and Unyama. The study’s major objective was to establish the level of awareness of children’s right to participation in decision making in both homes and communities. Data was collected through administering questionnaires, interview guides and observation tools to the sampled population of children, caregivers, and key informants in the responsible for children. The major findings of the study were that majority of the children interviewed were both aware of their right to participation in decision making process and most of the organizations working with children. The research also indicated that there should be equality for all the children to participate. Majority of the respondents interviewed, revealed that Children should be involved in decision-making on all matters affecting their lives though a few had already been involved in making decisions that affected their lives. However, participation was dependent on the issue at hand and how it related to them. The key limitations to children’s right to participation in making decisions were attributed to age, incompetence to comprehend information and regrettable decisions. Due to the above limitations, the study recommended inclusive decision making where children are actively involved, this is through having more regular meetings with adults, especially those that involve decision-making. It was argued that children have a unique perspective to offer which is by virtue of belonging to a ‘different generation’, and therefore they have something new and unique to contribute to the discussion. Children are young and creative in nature, an aspect that is key in problem solving. Their involvement in decision making should be looked at as an asset in helping adults ‘think outside the box. Children are human beings by nature, it makes them rational beings, they have the capacity to acquire knowledge, process it and make rational decisions. Doing so not only benefits the children in terms of developing their negotiating, thinking, and networking skills, but it also helps ground decision-making process in the lived reality of children’s worlds. This further empowers them to enjoy their rights to participation, dignity and have a sense of belonging within the community they live in. In Conclusion although the study noted that different institutions dealing with children had formed school councils, youth forums and individual parents/careers to proactively engage children in decision-making processes, most of the respondents interviewed (children) were generally dissatisfied with the level of input of stakeholders when it came to inclusive decision making in schools, organizations, households, and communities they belonged in. Inherent power differences between children and adults were observed though this power can be negotiated as adults age.