How to use Child Centered Social Accountability to Reduce Discrimination and Social Exclusion – A Case Study from Ethiopia

Child Centred Social Accountability (CCSA) is a rights-based and community-driven approach  through which children and communities hold duty-bearers accountable for their decisions, actions, and the delivery of services that fulfil children’s rights. This case study highlights the power of CCSA as a means of supporting positive social change and inclusion for children most impacted by inequality and discrimination in Ethiopia in 2021-23.

Children, community members and local civil society organisations (CSOs) from the Central Ethiopia region came together in child-centred social accountability groups, and collectively identified that artisan groups faced significantly high levels of inequality and discrimination on the grounds of their social identity and have a long history of social exclusion, impacting their access to basic services and rights.
Members of these social accountability groups then worked successfully to reduce the social exclusion of artisan communities through a combination of methods, interventions and with a range of key stakeholders. One key outcome was a significant increase in school enrolment of children from artisan communities across 5 rural schools, increasing from 315 in 2021 (125 male, 190 female) to 650 in 2023 (320 male, 330 female).

This case study has been developed as part of the How to Child Rights series.