- The Childhood Counts Report reflects the perceptions of girls and boys in relation to the fulfillment of their rights and the main problems that affect Mexican children.
- According to the La Infancia Counts report, 674 suicides of girls, boys and adolescents between 10 and 17 years old were registered during 2018.
- Report reveals that 15 out of 100 girls, boys and adolescents do not attend school, the most affected group is boys.
Given the increase in violence and violation of the rights of Mexican children, the Network for Children's Rights Mexico (REDIM), in coordination with the Initiative #Weaving NetworksChildhood in Latin America and the Caribbean, presented the 2020 report: Childhood Counts, friendly version.
The document was prepared with the participation of girls, boys and adolescents from different states of Mexico, who, through virtual dialogues, met for 15 consecutive days to reflect on the difficulties they face in exercising their rights, the problems that became more acute with the COVID-19 pandemic and the urgency of implementing public policies to meet the needs of children.
Regarding this, Elizabeth, a Mexican teenager, stated: "This year, in collaboration with REDIM, we wanted to make a friendly version of this report, so that children and adolescents can understand it, analyze it and demand their rights" .
The report not only reflects the perceptions of girls and boys in relation to the fulfillment of their rights, it also presents accurate data and makes a meticulous analysis of the increase in violence, access to health, access to education, discrimination, poverty, children with disabilities, indigenous children, among others.
One of the data that most attracts the attention of this document is the situation of migrant children, 7 out of 10 migrants, including girls and boys, report having suffered some type of violation of their rights while crossing the border, Likewise, in 2019, about 72,873 minors were arrested trying to cross the border without the company of an adult.
Regarding education, the report also reveals that 15 out of every 100 girls, boys and adolescents do not attend school; Likewise, regarding mental health, 674 suicides of minors between 10 and 17 years of age were reported. In both cases with a higher prevalence in men.
Regarding these data, Fernando, a 13-year-old teenager, stated: “this document allows us to know more about our rights and become aware of reality. I feel that from the Network for the Rights of the Child in Mexico, a voice is being given to those who historically and traditionally did not have, the girls, boys and adolescents ”.
In addition to presenting data on the violation of the rights of children and adolescents, the report also contains a series of recommendations and suggestions from children and adolescents, who call on the authorities to take into account their opinions and guarantee the fulfillment of their rights through efficient public policies.
On this, Ricardo Bucio, Executive Secretary of the National System for the Comprehensive Protection of Girls, Boys and Adolescents SIPINNA, pointed out that the state is the main guarantor of the rights of children and adolescents, therefore, he highlighted the need to disseminate the results of the report, as a way of making the situation of children visible and promoting actions that respond to the needs of girls and boys. “The data presented in this report speak about the guarantee of the rights of girls, boys and adolescents, over their lives. Therefore, it is important to understand that rights are the mechanisms through which we can have an adequate life, they are not just a role ”.
For his part, Juan Martín Pérez García, Coordinator of the Initiative Weaving Child Networks, indicated that this document constitutes a tool to make visible the problems that affect children and adopt measures that allow guaranteeing or restoring their rights. "The report, Childhood Counts in Mexico, not only allows us to reflect on the situation of children, it is also a tool for political advocacy," he emphasized.
Diana, a 15-year-old adolescent, said: “This document is very inspiring and makes children reflect and become protagonists of change, we must take everything that is embodied in this document into action. Let us continue to assert our voices and our opinions ”.
Also participating in the session were Cristian Skoog, UNICEF Mexico Representative, Benjamin, an 18-year-old teenager, Citlali, 17, and Salvador, a teenager from Mexico.
FINAL DECLARATION OF CHILDHOOD COUNTS
GIRLS, BOYS AND TEENAGERS FRIENDLY VERSION
We are children and adolescents who participate in organizations that make up the Network for Children's Rights in Mexico (REDIM): Educadys, Melel Xojobal, Desarrollo Educativo Sueniños, Centro de Desarrollo Humano Dr. Salvador Uribe and Escandona AC and CIAM, which They are found in the states of Chiapas, the State of Mexico, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato and Quintana Roo.
We were a group of 13 girls, boys and adolescents who met for 8 sessions every 15 days, from July 10 to November 7, 2020, due to the pandemic we were experiencing, the sessions were virtually. We met to learn about a document called "Childhood Counts in Mexico." These sessions allowed us to learn more about and touch on the issues that are common in our society and sometimes go unnoticed.
We learned what girls, boys and adolescents think about their rights and with our opinion we enriched the information on Childhood Counts. In the sessions we talked about the situation we are experiencing at the moment, what it has generated and how it has affected us girls, boys and adolescents, we played a marathon on migration and we watched a video called “Munja”.
During these sessions we had many learnings, we understood some problems that exist in Mexico and how they affect us directly in our person, since our rights are violated. As girls, boys and adolescents we must have a good quality in education, health and nutrition.
We also touched on the issue of migration and the rights of migrants, we already knew a little about it, in the sessions our knowledge was expanded. Through the short film "Munja" that talks about migrant girls and boys, we reflect, although many people think that only adults migrate, this is not the case, so do girls and boys, sometimes they are accompanied and others travel alone.
In the group we learned what migrant childhood and adolescence are going through. We learned that there are an excessive number of people who leave their country and that they are not allowed to enter the United States, sometimes very fatal consequences can be chained.
We propose that to improve the situations that migrants experience, they can leave their country without any problem or have a “visa type” to go to the United States. Let's consider that an agreement could also be reached so that migrants who already live in the United States can travel to their countries, to see their relatives and can return without problems, since it is painful not to be able to hug the people you appreciate , because there are absurd laws that violate the rights of migrants.
Our requirements are the following:
- That our rights as people are respected.
- May the voice of the people be heard and their demands met.
- We demand awareness through campaigns and empathy from the authorities, we consider that the needs of children and adolescents are not known from a desk or a comfortable office.
- We demand that the authorities who do not carry out their work be removed and that a solution be found, since they are here to help the people.
- The State has the obligation to respect our human rights, guarantee quality care in health, food, shelter, and dignified treatment.
- That the State guarantee a good reception to migrants during their stay in the country and provide them with health and shelter care.
- Do not detain migrants at immigration stations. Yours sincerely Boys, girls and adolescents
Sincerely, girls, boys and adolescents.
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Press contact: Verónica Morales / [email protected]
About:
#ChildhoodFirst It is a strategy that provides guidance for the care of children and adolescents in emergency situations.
#Weaving NetworksChildhood, is a project co-financed by the European Union that seeks to contribute to the strengthening and consolidation of a platform for the defense of children and adolescents in 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Derechos Infancia Mexico AC / #TejiendoRedesInfancia and in no case should it be considered that it reflects the views of the European Union.