A Call to End Violence Against Women: Fighting to Defend Dignity and Protect Futures

Defending the rights and dignity of women is a fight for humanity itself, and ending violence against women is key to securing a safer and brighter future for children, especially girls, who deserve to grow up in a world of equality and opportunity.

On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we stand united to amplify the voices of women and girls who endure violence and systemic oppression, while also recognizing the countless children whose lives are profoundly shaped by its devastating ripple effects. When women suffer, children suffer -physically, emotionally, and socially- perpetuating cycles of trauma and inequality that stretch across generations. We reaffirm our commitment to building a society where safety, dignity, and justice are not privileges but fundamental rights for all.

Violence against women extends far beyond the home; it is a profound violation of human rights, born from entrenched inequality and discrimination, an undeniable form of gender apartheid that demands immediate and collective action.

Across the world, nearly one in three women[1] have faced physical or sexual violence, most often at the hands of someone they trusted. This disturbing reality highlights the systemic nature of this crisis, which thrives in silence and impunity. For far too many women, this violence ends in tragedy: in 2023 alone, 51,100 women were murdered by partners or family members, a horrifying statistic that reminds us that every 10 minutes, a woman’s life is violently taken[2]. These figures represent not just statistics; they signify a call to action against the global epidemic of gender-based violence.

Harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, and honor killings, coupled with modern threats like cyber harassment, show that the forms of violence against women evolve, but their purpose remains the same: to oppress and control. For girls, the flow of discrimination is institutionalized from the very beginning, within families, schools, and eventually across all aspects of society, including the economy, law, and politics. This pervasive inequality shapes their lives, reinforcing cycles of oppression at every turn.

In Iran, violence against women is not just pervasive; it is institutionalized, woven into the very fabric of society by a system designed to oppress. These laws are rooted in traditions drawn from an interpretation of Islamic teachings that not only deny women equal rights but also strip them of any inherent value or recognition of their fundamental rights. This systemic oppression ensures that women are relegated to a subordinate status, perpetuating their marginalization at every level of society. Physical, psychological, sexual, and economic abuse, along with controlling behaviors, devastate women’s lives both inside and outside their homes. Yet, those responsible for such horrors often go unpunished. The Iranian government, far from protecting women, stands as one of the most powerful enablers of these violations.

Women in Iran endure systemic abuse daily, and the very laws meant to protect them instead reinforce their oppression. A chilling example reveals this stark injustice: a man who murdered his wife received only an eight-year prison sentence[3], while women accused of similar crimes face execution.[4]

Online abuse, including cyberstalking, harassment, revenge pornography, and non-consensual sharing of intimate images, is another pervasive issue. This violence often transcends personal relationships and is weaponized by the Iranian regime to silence women and crush dissent[5]. The message is clear: no space, not even the virtual one, is safe for women seeking autonomy.

Discrimination and abuse by the Iranian regime extend into law enforcement and detention facilities. Reports suggest women’s prisons are far worse than men’s revealing a twisted logic[6]: as a woman, stepping out of the boundaries of a male-dominated society is seen as a double offense. Women are punished not once but twice, first for their alleged crime and again for being a woman who dared to commit it and to defy governmental law that demanded their submission.

Sexual violence has been wielded as a weapon of repression throughout the 45 years of the Islamic Republic's rule. Since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" revolution, reports have exposed the systematic use of sexual violence against women and girls arrested during protests, with the regime justifying such atrocities as tools to silence dissent[7]. Every day, countless women resist the regime’s oppressive laws, including the mandatory hijab, turning something as simple as their choice of clothing into an act of defiance. This daily struggle places thousands of women in constant conflict with a regime determined to control their autonomy and silence their resistance. This is not just violence; it is a war against women's bodies and voices.

The Iranian regime's oppression does not stop at the individual level. Structural and institutional violence, upheld by discriminatory laws and practices, ensures women are marginalized at every turn. Denied legal protection, excluded from equal opportunities, and forced into submission, women in Iran are fighting a system designed to erase them. This is a battle for survival, not just recognition. Confronting such injustice demands more than acknowledgment; it calls for transformative, global action.

Perpetrators must be held accountable, and the international community must stand with Iranian women by supporting bold, well-funded strategies to dismantle the regime of oppression, while empowering women’s rights movements to lead the fight.

Children who grow up under suppressive regimes like the Iranian regime are not only subjected to countless child rights abuses, but they also witness gender-based violence up close. They see violence at home that goes unpunished and systemic oppression wielded by those in power. When they watch regimes target their mothers, their sisters, and their teachers, they are robbed yet again of safety and stability. This systemic violence grips entire generations, teaching children that inequality is inevitable and normalizing cycles of abuse.

True justice will come only when the structures of inequality, whether in homes, communities, or entire nations, are torn down and replaced with systems built on equality, freedom, and respect for all. This means not only restoring dignity and freedom to women but also securing a safer, brighter future for their children. A world where no child grows up in the shadow of oppression and abuse.

As child rights activists, we must and will fight tirelessly to dismantle all systems of violence, whether they exist within homes or are enforced by oppressive regimes.

Our mission is to demand that politicians and governments end their support for the suppressive Iranian regime. To the people of the world, we seek your solidarity and unwavering support for those fighting for freedom and justice. We must stand firmly with Iranians, particularly Iranian women, by advocating for political strategies that weaken and dismantle the regime of oppression while empowering women’s rights movements. This movement has already proven its strength and resilience, it can and will lead the fight, provided the international community ceases protecting the oppressors and, for once, stands on the right side of history.

[1] https://data.unwomen.org/global-database-on-violence-against-women

[2] https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day

[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64319487

[4] https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6606/

[5]https://themedialine.org/by-region/female-influencers-in-iran-targeted-by-cyberattacks-blame-the-iranian-government/

[6] https://wncri.org/2021/12/09/the-conditions-of-women-iran-prisons/

[7]https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/iran-security-forces-used-rape-and-other-sexual-violence-to-crush-woman-life-freedom-uprising-with-impunity/

A World That Deserves Children Surely Deserves Us All

November 20: Anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Universal Children's Day

 November 20 marks World Children's Day, a significant date in the fight for children's rights. It was established 70 years ago in 1954 as Universal Children's Day, and five years later, in 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. In 1989, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child and it was signed by 193 countries making it the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history.

Since then, the world has changed dramatically. Advances in science, technology, and industries have transformed daily life, making it almost unrecognizable compared to the late 20th century. Electronic devices like computers and mobile phones, combined with the rise of the internet and social media, have revolutionized communication and living standards for many, though not all. On the day the convention was adopted, nations pledged to prioritize children’s rights and their best interests. Yet, despite this global commitment, the world has become increasingly unsafe and dangerous for children. Every five seconds, a child dies somewhere in the world[1]. Over 160 million children, nearly 1 in 10 worldwide, are engaged in child labor, with many forced into hazardous conditions, including through trafficking[2].

In its 2024 appeal, UNICEF has requested an urgent $9.3 billion to support at 93.7 million children in 155 countries[3]. Through this effort, UNICEF aims to assist:

• 147 million people, including 93.8 million children

• 80.8 million women and girls, of whom 50.1 million are girls

• 14 million people with disabilities, including 9.3 million children with disabilities

UNICEF's programs aim to vaccinate 17.3 million children, provide treatment for 7.6 million children suffering from acute malnutrition, support 26.7 million children, adolescents, and caregivers with community-based mental health and psychosocial services, reach 14.8 million women, girls, and boys with gender-based violence prevention and response interventions, and ensure that 19.3 million children gain access to formal or non-formal education, including early learning programs.

One in every five children is stripped of their childhood[4] due to war, displacement, hunger, homelessness, lack of education, child labor, exploitation, and other crises. In Gaza, since October 7, 40% of children have been killed, while over half a million children remain trapped under bombardment, hunger, and homelessness.

To grasp the magnitude of this injustice, consider the stark contrast: According to a Bloomberg[5] report, on November 6, the world’s 10 wealthiest individuals collectively gained nearly $64 billion in a single day. This glaring disparity, where billions of dollars are amassed in mere hours, while countless children are trapped in poverty and deprivation, losing their lives every five seconds, exposes a system that prioritizes profit over the basic rights and well-being of the most vulnerable.

This deep inequality is clearly evident in Iran, where the conditions for children are deeply troubling. Nearly 7 million children are engaged in labor[6], while 2 million are unable to enroll in school. 40% of children lack access to adequate food, clean drinking water, and medical care[7],[8]. Dropping out of school is increasing, with many refugee and migrant children excluded from education altogether. Child suicide is on the rise, driven by poverty, family oppression, and mistreatment by school officials[9]. Drug and substance abuse has reached alarming levels among elementary school children, and the exploitation of children in pornography and sexual abuse is disturbingly widespread. These violations of children’s rights are the result of systemic oppression and a dictatorial regime that prioritizes power over humanity. Addressing these issues requires confronting the root cause: dismantling systems of exploitation and creating a safe and just society for children.

As the Middle East faces escalating unrest and the Iranian regime pushes for regional conflict, it is critical to reflect on the Iran-Iraq War and the regime’s devastating use of children during that time. Iran has a long-documented history of involving children in armed conflicts. During the eight-year war with Iraq, over 33,000 high school students were killed, 2,853 were injured, and 2,433 were taken prisoner, according to the "Foundation for Preserving and Promoting the Values of the Sacred Defense." Children as young as nine were recruited into paramilitary organizations, as reported by Child Soldiers International. This exploitation stems from a 1980 decree by Ayatollah Khomeini, which led to the formation of the Student Basij. This organization recruited children from elementary and middle schools for military training and operations. A tragic example is Mohammad Hossein Fahmideh, a 13-year-old child soldier who sacrificed his life during the First Battle of Khorramshahr in 1980 by detonating a grenade belt under an Iraqi tank. His story is celebrated as a symbol of martyrdom, perpetuating a narrative that glorifies the use of children in warfare.

To maintain legitimacy and glorify the culture of martyrdom, the Iranian regime has institutionalized efforts to preserve the memory of war martyrs like Fahmideh. Since 1997, the student branch of the Basij Force has organized annual tours called “Travelers to Light,” taking students to battlegrounds in southern and southwestern Iran. These tours aim to “familiarize the future makers of Iran with epic legends” while instilling loyalty to the regime’s ideology.

More recently, 2,400 high school girls have reportedly been involved in similar programs, raising concerns about the regime’s continued use of children to advance its political and military agenda. The preparation of children and youth for another potential war draws disturbing parallels to the past.

Iran signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1994, which prohibits the use of children in military activities. However, like other obligations under the Convention, including the prohibition of child labor, child marriage, and the execution of minors, this commitment has been systematically ignored. The regime’s recruitment of individuals under 18 for military training and operations flagrantly violates international laws and children’s fundamental rights.

In the face of such atrocities, even dozens of international conventions and treaties cannot bring about meaningful change on their own. True transformation demands addressing the root causes of injustice, seizing power from those who plunder public wealth, and creating a safe and secure future for all children. Only through decisive action and systemic change can we create a world where children are free to thrive and realize their full potential.

A world capable of providing for and nurturing children, ensuring their well-being, rights, and opportunities, is a world that is truly good for everyone. 

November 20, 2024

[1] https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/child-or-youth-died-once-every-44-seconds-2021-un-report#:~:text=A%20child%20or%20youth%20died,seconds%20in%202021%20%E2%80%93%20UN%20report

[2] https://www.unicef.org/protection/child-labour

[3] https://www.unicefusa.org/sites/default/files/2023-12/Humanitarian-Action-for-Children-2024-Overview.pdf

[4]https://www.unicefusa.org/what-unicef-does/emergency-response/conflict#:~:text=Some%20400%20million%20children%20%E2%80%93%20about,war%20or%20other%20violent%20conflicts.

[5]https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-07/trump-s-election-win-supercharges-net-worth-of-world-s-richest-by-64-billion

[6] https://www.iranintl.com/en/202308011543

[7] https://iranfocus.com/life-in-iran/50275-iran-1-5-million-children-on-verge-of-dropping-out-of-school-14-million-without-proper-food/

[8]  https://iranfocus.com/life-in-iran/49972-thousands-of-iranian-children-will-miss-the-new-school-year/

[9] Unpublished report by Child Rights Activists in Iran (in preparation). More information at https://www.craii.org/

Every hour, 40 children under five lose their lives to the devastating effects of unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene

Global Water and Sanitation Crisis

• 2.2 billion people still live without access to safely managed drinking water.

• 2 billion people lack basic hygiene services, including 653 million with no facilities at all.

• Children in fragile contexts are 3 times more likely to practice open defecation, 4 times more likely to lack basic sanitation services, and 8 times more likely to lack access to basic drinking water.

(Sources: WHO/UNICEF, 2023; UNICEF, 2024)

Peace or oppression: Marking the International Week of Science and Peace, we reflect on science’s dual potential.

This week, as we observe the International Week of Science and Peace and the International Day of Science for Peace and Development, we reflect on the ways science and technology shape our world. Established in 1986 and 2001, respectively, these observances highlight the profound impact of science on international peace, security, socio-economic development, and human rights. In December 1988, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution[1] emphasizing the need to direct scientific achievements toward socio-economic progress and the advancement of human rights. The resolution called for diverting resources and talent away from the arms race to address humanity's pressing challenges in a more peaceful and secure world.

While these initiatives highlight the transformative potential of science to promote peace and sustainable development, they also expose a troubling reality: science and technology are frequently weaponized to perpetuate inequality, suppress human rights, and exploit vulnerable populations, including women and children. Scientific advancements frequently fall into the hands of profit-driven corporations, authoritarian governments, and other powerful entities, with scientists working under their direction, turning tools of liberation into instruments of control.

Throughout history, science and technology have been exploited in several critical ways. First, they serve the agendas of powerful nations and their proxies, often at the expense of impoverished and developing countries, enforcing dominance through war and bloodshed. Second, by transforming the universal 'right to benefit from science and technology' into an exclusive 'privilege,' they reinforce systems of exploitation, leaving the majority of society marginalized. The stark disparity, where the combined wealth of a small group of billionaires surpasses the assets of billions of people, demonstrates how these systems worsen inequality and increase human suffering. Children bear the heaviest burden of these injustices. Those in war zones, suffering from poverty and malnutrition, forced into labor, or deprived of education, healthcare, and housing are casualties of a deeply unequal world where science and technology are misused to fuel conflict instead of being used to promote peace and improve the lives of future generations.

In oppressive authoritarian regimes like the Iranian government, science is misused to maintain state control and suppress the population rather than to advance society. The regime exemplifies this through its contributions to global conflict and unrest[2], alongside its deployment of advanced surveillance technologies such as facial recognition[3],[4] and digital monitoring[5]. These tools are used to suppress dissent, target women protesting compulsory hijab laws, and uphold systemic gender apartheid. By combining street-level surveillance with digital methods to monitor encrypted platforms, intercept communications, and infiltrate universities, educational centers, and even high schools, the Iranian government has institutionalized persecution and violated fundamental human rights, including the rights of children.

Iranian universities, lacking academic independence, are deeply intertwined with the regime’s oppressive agenda. Their research extends beyond military objectives to the strategic use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, internet science, and cyber technologies. This alignment is orchestrated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)[6], its Cyber Command, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), and the Iranian Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), which use university resources to develop sophisticated systems for surveillance and control. This systematic co-opting of academic institutions suppresses independent thought, prioritizes state propaganda and oppression over the public good, and reinforces mechanisms that violate ethical standards and fundamental rights.

These are stark reminders of how authoritarian regimes adapt science and scientific innovations to consolidate power and enforce repression rather than promote peace and justice.

Iran’s systematic targeting of women highlights the intersection of gender-based oppression and technological control. Despite this repression, Iranian women continue to fight for justice and equality; however, their courage requires ongoing international support to ensure that digital technology serves as a tool for empowerment rather than oppression.

Access to education, knowledge, and the ability to utilize and expand these resources to improve living conditions, promote peace, and secure equal rights are fundamental and inherent rights for all individuals and societies. Yet, oppressive regimes and exploitative systems systematically deny these rights.

This cycle of repression must end. Transforming it requires immediate and collective accountability, with societies and individuals taking decisive control over how science and technology are developed and used. By demanding ethical oversight and redirecting advancements toward justice and equality, we can create a peaceful, equitable, and dignified world, especially for children, whose well-being reflects the dignity of humanity as a whole.

A dignified life for children is a dignified life for all.

[1] https://undocs.org/A/RES/43/61

[2] https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/irans-game-drones

[3] https://www.wired.com/story/iran-says-face-recognition-will-id-women-breaking-hijab-laws/

[4]https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/14/academics-in-us-uk-and-australia-collaborated-on-drone-research-with-iranian-university-close-to-regime

[5] https://www.mei.edu/publications/mahsa-amini-and-future-internet-repression-iran

[6] https://www.trellix.com/blogs/research/the-iranian-cyber-capability/

June 12: World Day Against Child Labor

It is a dark tragedy that, in the 21st century, we still recognize "World Day Against Child Labour." This is a stark reminder of our failure as a global community to protect the most vulnerable in our society—our children. As we mark this day, we must confront the harsh reality that millions of children, 1 in 5 worldwide, are still enduring hazardous conditions, their dreams, hopes, and childhoods taken away from them.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), "child labor" is work that is "mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful" to a child and deprives them of their childhood.

Let us remember that child laborers are:

• Children who work in agriculture, including farming, fishing, and livestock, perform tasks beyond their age-appropriate abilities.

• Children who work in factories facing hazardous conditions, poor ventilation, and exposure to toxic materials.

• Children who work in garment factories sew clothes for long hours in poorly ventilated sweatshops.

• Children who assemble electronics, often in confined spaces with inadequate safety measures.

• Children who toil in brick kilns, carrying heavy loads and enduring extreme heat to produce bricks for construction.

• Children who work in mines extracting materials like cobalt and gold, enduring harsh conditions for minimal pay, often without protective gear.

• Children who perform domestic servitude, working as maids and caretakers, and are often subject to abuse and exploitation.

• Children who are bought, sold, and moved for sexual exploitation.

• Children who are forced into marriage, losing their childhoods to become wives and mothers while still children themselves.

• Children who are exploited for criminal activities, including theft and drug trafficking.

• Children who are used in armed conflict, serving as soldiers, scouts, cooks, and more. They are conscripted as child soldiers, trained to fight and kill in conflicts they cannot understand.

These examples of exploitation highlight the ongoing injustice that demands urgent and unwavering action to eradicate child labor once and for all.

Marching towards a world unshackled by the chains of violence, discrimination, and inequality

The range of violence against women is vast and complex, spanning diverse forms, frequencies, and intensities. From brutal acts, such as honor killings, sexual assaults, and rapes, to coercive practices like forced circumcisions, forced marriage, and the denial of the right to choose a partner depict violent dimensions. Non-physical manifestations include legal deprivations of women's rights, impacting their personal choices, children's rights, and access to legal, social, and economic rights. Inequality manifests in various dimensions of human rights, taking on assumed forms, and subtle forms of violence persist within a system aptly described as 'patriarchal' or, in other words, a system dominated by capitalist structures.

Through the strategic use of education, religion, and media, the system actively shapes and disseminates a cultural narrative and relational structure that opposes the empowerment of women and perpetuates male dominance. Though manifesting in diverse ways across countries and nations, these influential tools fundamentally contribute to the cultivation of a culture steeped in class-based and hierarchical values. Essentially, they depict certain segments of human society as inherently inferior, perpetuating gender-based discrimination and encapsulating the most violent dimensions of these inequalities.

In nations such as Iran, the lamentable prevalence of violence and oppression against women has become disturbingly explicit, seamlessly woven into the fabric of the dominant culture. This influence extends to the very core of legal frameworks and societal interactions. Women, unfortunately, find themselves in a diminished status, with their rights contingent upon the directives and approvals of men who, under religious pretexts, consider themselves owners of these rights.

Emerging from the earliest stages of childhood, these pervasive assaults cast a lasting shadow over the lives of women.

Enforcing mandatory dress codes labeled as "hijab," advocating and coercing religious practices, imposing religious and traditional concepts on children as they enter school, and compelling them to conform to prevailing societal norms that cast them as "subordinate." The indoctrination of a submissive self-image, coupled with acceptance and surrender to this system from the outset, perpetuates these teachings. The alarming prevalence of child marriage, a criminal act against children irrespective of gender, stands out as one of the most egregious forms of these oppressions.

The parallel fate of women within the lower echelons of society is evident. Yet, one crucial point deserves attention: Changes in the circumstances of women within societies imply corresponding shifts in the conditions of oppression children face. Whether in their individual capacities or as mothers and caretakers, women emerge as direct advocates for their children's rights.

With the advent of the "Mehsa Revolution" and the active engagement of women in Iran, a remarkable solidarity unfolded, transcending gender lines as almost all women and men joined forces against the oppressive regime and dictatorship. Aptly dubbed the "Women's Revolution," this movement is renowned for the groundbreaking role played by women, guided by aspirations focused on dismantling the entire framework of discrimination and inequality. This characterization finds recognition among domestic activists and resonates with the international community and observers alike.

The far-reaching impacts of this movement extend beyond the tangible, evident in the persistent resistance against compulsory "hijab" and the growing emphasis on the right to individual attire choices.

At the heart of the issue lies the undeniable truth that all manifestations of violence against women are deeply rooted in a systemic structure, where the very foundation relies on the "exploitation of human capital" and the "profit-driven commodification" of individuals. Within this paradigm, women find themselves relegated to subordinate roles, labeled as secondary or tertiary entities. The singular remedy to this societal ailment lies in the conscientious dismantling of the deteriorating foundations underpinning this corrupted system.

In the realm of social change, the women's movement, pioneering women's organizations, and allied movements find themselves intertwined, sharing a common destiny. Their collective power emerges not through isolated efforts but through a unified commitment. Joining forces with the movement for freedom and equality becomes the catalyst for addressing not only the injustices and violence against women but also the broader spectrum of societal segments and constituencies.

As advocates for the movement defending "children's rights," we align ourselves seamlessly with revolutionary movements and fervently call for cooperation and partnership in advancing the objectives of our targeted groups within our movements.

Marching toward a world unshackled by the chains of violence, discrimination, and inequality.

Long live freedom and equality.

Long live the right of childhood.

November 25, 2023

Unveiling the Shadows:

Child rights violations in Iran and the urgent call for change.

On November 20, 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and 30 years later, on November 20, 1989, they adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since 1989, The Convention on the Rights of the Child has been ratified by 195 countries, making it the world's most widely ratified human rights treaty.

Despite its existence, the Convention on the Rights of the Child has significant flaws, notably its conditional and regionally influenced perspective on children's rights, subject to the discretion of governments and rulers. Iran's conditional adoption in 1993, allowing non-compliance if conflicting with domestic laws or Islamic standards, raises concerns about the effectiveness of such conditions in improving children's conditions over the past 30 years. This conditional approach undermines the very rights the Convention aims to protect.

Violation of children's fundamental rights in Iran

In 1991, Iran committed to safeguarding children's rights by signing and ratifying the Convention; however, after three decades, the fundamental rights of Iranian children persistently endure violations. Despite the Convention's commitment, many Iranian children and families face poverty, lacking essentials like nutrition, healthcare, housing, and a conducive environment. Implementation gaps persist, hindered by socio-political obstacles, and governmental reluctance to engage with civil institutions exacerbates the challenges, shifting responsibility to societal, private, and charitable sectors. A notable violation concerns the right to free and quality education, emphasized in Iran's constitution. Regrettably, many children are denied access, while those within the formal education system encounter subpar conditions. This aspect requires a fundamental transformation to align with child-centric principles. In our perspective, the Convention signifies the baseline for children's rights, not the pinnacle. Unfortunately, these foundational rights face lapses in adherence within Iran. We ardently advocate for a paradigm shift, fostering a renewed perspective and approach to secure and cherish the rights of every child in the country.

Governmental and Adult-Centric Perspective, Two Major Flaws of the Convention.

The Convention's shortcomings are twofold. Firstly, it reflects the views of government representatives, not those of the people, particularly children's rights advocates, who would have crafted a more progressive document. Secondly, the prevailing perspective on the treaty stems from adults' understanding of children's rights, lacking the crucial viewpoint of children themselves. This oversight, coupled with legal constraints that tie the treaty to individual countries' laws, creates a significant flaw. Children's rights should be universal, not constrained by local laws and norms. The Convention sets the minimum standards for children's rights, yet even these basics go unfulfilled in Iran. The United Nations, while representing global nations, is constrained by the policies of individual countries, often influenced by global powers. This challenge is evident in conflicts like Palestine, where the UN struggles to play an effective and humane mediating role, leading to the suffering of people, especially children.

Society must act as a lever of pressure on the government.

Society should serve as a lever of pressure on the government to uphold universally recognized children's rights. In Iran's challenging political landscape, where civil society faces constant threats, advocacy efforts, including movements by teachers and workers, become crucial. The protection of these fundamental rights should be a global imperative.

As advocates for children's rights, we seek active participation in shaping the rights and aspirations of children. Children's rights extend beyond domestic laws and conventions; they embody their current interests and demands, free from compromise or expediency.

Join us in fostering a world where every child's rights are not just protected but actively championed. Echoing the sentiments of children at the Children’s World Congress On Child Labour in 2004 in Florence:

"We are as much the future as we are now."

November 20, 2023