Overview

Overview

The origins of the Children's Agenda

The origins of the Children's Agenda

Top Ten Investments

Top Ten Investments

Children’s Agenda partners

Children’s Agenda partners

Children's Agenda Strategy 2012-2015

Children's Agenda Strategy 2012-2015

Resources

Resources

 

Overview

© UNICEF Tanzania/2010/Namfua

Members of the Children’s Council defined the slogan of the Children’s Agenda, “Tuwape nafasi viongozi wanaojali watoto kwa kutetea haki zao,” which translates as “Let’s support leaders who care about children by defending their rights.

The Children’s Agenda (CA) is a coalition of civil society organisations who are committed advocates for child rights and are collaborating on the development and implementation of a national advocacy strategy  for child rights in Tanzania.

The coalition is chaired by the Children’s Development Department of the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children (MCDGC) with the Deputy Chair occupied by an elected member from civil society. UNICEF supports the secretariat of the Children’s Agenda.

The Children’s Agenda aims to influence party manifestos and policies through advocacy for increased resources and commitment to children, and to ensure child rights feature strongly in the 2015 national and local elections.

The Top Ten Investments for Children define the core advocacy messages and focus of the Children’s Agenda. The Top Ten Investments were identified following a consultation process involving children as well as government, CSOs and other development partners. These include:

1. Invest to save the lives of children and women
2. Invest in good nutrition
3. Invest in better hygiene and sanitation in schools and health facilities
4. Invest in early childhood development
5. Invest in quality education for all children
6. Invest to make schools safe
7. Invest to protect infants and adolescent girls from HIV
8. Invest to reduce teenage pregnancy
9. Invest to protect children from violence, abuse, and exploitation
10. Invest in children with disabilities

The Children’s Agenda is guided by its strategic plan 2012-2015 which aims to:

1. Build capacity of its partners to advocate more effectively for children; and strengthen the coalition for child rights advocacy among civil society partners
2. Establish child rights partnerships with Parliamentarians, Councilors and other key influencers including religious leaders
3. Build media capacity and establish partnerships for child rights with the mass media
4. Strengthen and expand opportunities for sustainable, quality participation of children as advocates for their rights.