Today is the anniversary of establishment and declaration of Children Rights Agreement composed of 54 codes that was accepted on November 20th 1989. This agreement defines rights of all children without considering where they are born, what are their gender, from what religious or social and cultural background do they come. The agreement that organizes right to life, right to develop accurately, right of protection from violence, exploitation and utilizing, right to participate in family, culture and social life accurately includes values as non-discrimination, seeking for the benefits of the children, living, improving and involving. Does not matter how national laws define, everyone below age of 18 is defined as child and has every right that is on the Agreement.
This agreement has been accepted by Turkey in 1995 with reservation to three codes on the agreement. Even the table alone under the title of Violations against Children’s Right to live that has been declared by Human Rights Association, is enough to state there has not been an improvement in protecting children’s rights and improving them in the previous twelve years; also it should be remembered that these are only determined data.
VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO LIVE
| Children Suicides | 21 suicides | 15 attempts to suicide |
| Children who subjected to Domestic Violence | 7 death | 22 injured / 6 harassment and rape |
| Violation, Rape and Sexual Harassment Towards Children on Societal Level | 21 death | 7 injured / 59 harassment and rape |
| Children that are forced for prostitution | 13 children |
According to Turkish Statistics Institution’s Children Labor Research including 2006 September, November and December, number of children in Turkey level between age range 6-17 is 16 million 264 thousand. From 16 million 264 thousand children between the age group 6-17, 5.9% of them works in a economical job, in other works they are employed. (958 thousand children)
In Turkey level, children that are employed from age group 6-17, 47.7% of them live in urban and 52.4% of them live in rural area. Employed children are composed of 66% male and 34% female children. While 31.5 % of working children go to school, 68.5% of working children cannot continue their education. Children that continue their education between age group of 6-17, while 2.2% of them continues in an economical job, children that can not attend to school works with 26.3%.
While 40.9% (392 thousands children) of working children participate in agriculture, 59.1% (566 thousand children) of these children participate in sector that is out of agriculture; 53% of them works as paid or daily fee, 2.7% works for their own or for employee, 43.8% of these children claimed to work as unpaid family worker.
Both the table above and data provided by Human Rights Association reflects the truth that we should struggle for Right to life and Education right determined with general points in Children Rights Agreement (28. and 29.code) about Children’s Education Rights in Turkey.
Education right that is based on equality of opportunity,
Overcoming traditional pressure on female children,
Investment in education for children, who live in rural areas,
Maintaining education opportunity for disabled children where they can integrate with other children and have education the way they needed,
Having education in their culture and language for minorities should be established.
Children;
Protecting right to live prior,
Not facing with violation and exploitation,
Protecting their identities,
Having equal and qualified education for all children,
Having solutions about children’s health problems that is commonly experienced in Turkey,
And children living as children, not painting shoes, not selling tissues or ring-shaped, until Turkey becomes a country like that, Human Rights Association will continue its struggling.
HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION