Children’s Participation Report 2006. Save the Children Sweden Southern Sudan Programme

Children’s participation is an internal priority for Save the Children Sweden’s (SCS) Southern Sudan Programme, through which SCS strategically promotes and practically supports meaningful children’s participation. This Child Participation Study, commissioned by SCS in 2006 in southern Sudan, is expected to stimulate animated discussion on practical ways of working with children and the role children play in matters that affect them. The study can also serve as a useful advocacy tool.  The results of this study indicate that over 90% of the interviewed children want to be involved meaningfully and participate in issues  affecting their lives. The major challenge faced by the study is to identify practical ways and means to work with children and other stakeholders for effective and meaningful participation of girls and boys in their families, schools and communities.   Building upon the identification of the gaps and strengths in SCS’s realisation of children’s rights to participation, 14 recommendations were made to  further promote children’s participation.