At a glance: Mexico

Real lives

Mexican children take to the polls and express their opinions

© UNICEF Mexico

The young participants took the exercise very seriously, some spending more than 10 minutes answering their ballots.

On Sunday 6 July, almost 3.8 million Mexican children and adolescents went to the polls to express their opinions on issues that concern them, in the National Survey of Children and Adolescents, an exercise in child participation organized by the Federal Electoral Institute of Mexico with support from UNICEF.

Under the slogan “You have a lot to say,” the National Survey of Children and Adolescents seeks to recognize that children have rights and promote democratic values among them, including participation and freedom of expression. The national survey provides a space for children to express their opinions on key issues, and looks to society – especially parents, teachers and institutions in authority – to listen and respond to their concerns.

“Through my participation in the survey, I would like to express that every child has the right to have the same education opportunities.”  - Diego, 14.

The survey took place on the same day as the Mexican federal elections. Children could participate at almost 20,000 local polling stations located throughout Mexico - 66 in each of the country’s 300 federal electoral districts. Mobile polling units reached children in hospitals, shelters and child and youth centres.

Each polling station was made up of three booths, one for each age-group of the participants: six to nine years old, 10 to 13 years old and 14 to 17 years old. The ballots covered three issues. For children aged six to nine years, the issue was violence; for those between 10 and 13 years, the issue was the right to information; and for adolescents 14 to 17 years old, the issue was discrimination.

The issues arose out of the previous National Survey of Children and Adolescents, held alongside the 2000 general election, which highlighted the main concerns of children in the three age groups.

© UNICEF Mexico

Children were eager to make their voices heard at the Jardin Hidalgo polling station.

The polling station at Jardin Hidalgo in Mexico City was bustling with activity early in the morning. At 6:00 a.m., five girl scouts - part of an army of 80,000 youth volunteers - were already busy setting up the booths and helping younger children to answer the ballots.

“I voted because I want the government to help women have healthy and strong babies, and that there are no more wars or poverty.” - María de Jesus, 7.

The young participants took the exercise very seriously, some spending more than 10 minutes answering their ballots. When asked to complete the statement “I would like that never again, where I live exists…,”  most children at the polling station wrote at least one of the following: violence, delinquency, insecurity, maltreatment, poverty or corruption.

At closing time, the line of children waiting to participate at Jardin Hidalgo was still long, and the last child put his ballot in the polling box at 7 p.m. By the end of the day, 238 boys and 155 girls had participated. But for the young volunteers, the day was not over. They counted the ballots, filled in the participation forms and sealed the boxes, to be sent to the Federal Electoral Institute, where the results of the survey will be analyzed in the next few weeks.

The enthusiasm, interest and sense of responsibility of almost 4 million children was a lesson in democratic participation for adults and an example of civic expression and engagement. While the participation of adults in the national elections for Congress decreased by 32 per cent this year compared with 2000, the participation of children in 2003 remained almost the same.

“I want my city to be clean and free of violence.” - Julio, 6.

The issues were derived from the results of the previous National Survey of Children and Adolescents held in 2000, in which almost 4 million children and adolescents participated. In 2000, some 33 per cent between the ages of six and nine said that they suffered abuse in their homes or schools; 40 per cent between the ages of 10 and 13 said they had insufficient information on sexuality, alcoholism and drug addiction; and 70 per cent between the ages of 14 and 17 expressed their concern about discrimination in Mexico. The results of this year’s  survey will be ready in September or early October 2003.

Participation is the right of all children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have the right to express their opinions and that their opinions should be taken into account in all matters that affect them. On ratifying the Convention in 1990, Mexico made a commitment to guarantee that right. The National Survey of Children and Adolescents is one way that Mexican society lives up to that commitment.