Turning Rights into Realities in Bangladesh: Child Friendly Local Governance

There are around 64 million children in Bangladesh (UNICEF, 2008), yet the current governance framework does not adequately or effectively include this important demographic. The lack of institutionalized and systematic child participation negatively affects the quality of democracy and the political culture of Bangladesh. It perpetuates and entrenches the disengagement and disempowerment of children and adolescents from an early age.

Child Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) comprises a rights-based child programming approach and a set of social accountability initiatives that, in concert, work to facilitate, promote and institutionalize the empowerment and participation of children and adolescents in the governance arrangements at the local level. The aim is to ensure better services and improve accountability of local government for the rights of children.

Read this approach paper to find out how CFLG is being applied and facilitated in Bangladesh.