Information for kids
Human rights are things that everyone has, or can do, so that we can all live fair and safe lives.
Your human rights make up part of all the support systems around you. Human rights help guide how governments treat us, and also how we should treat each other.
As a child you have special human rights to keep you safe. It is important you know your human rights and who to talk to if you think your human rights are being ignored.
You can find out more here. If you have questions we have not answered, you can send us an email. We will answer you and then add information to this website for other kids too.
What are children’s rights ?
There are human rights just for children (anyone under 18 years old). They are all explained in a document called the Convention on the Rights of the Child. You can read a summary of the Convention written just for you!
It includes things like your right to protection, not to be discriminated against, and your rights to go to school, to play, and to participate in your culture and family.
A convention is an agreement by governments. Human rights conventions mean governments are agreeing that the people that live in their country have certain rights that the government must protect.
Children are so important that more countries have agreed to the Convention on the Rights of the Child than any other human rights agreement in the world!
There are three important rules at the beginning of the Convention on the Rights of the Child that tell adults how to protect all the rights in the Convention. The next three questions explain those rules.
What is discrimination?
One of these rules is that ALL children have human rights, and you cannot be treated differently from someone else just because of a difference you have.
For example, you cannot be treated differently based on:
- race
- colour
- sex
- sexuality orientation
- language
- religion
- political or other opinion
- national or social origin
- property
- birth
- disability.
If you are treated differently because you are different from someone else, this is called discrimination.
Should I get a say about decisions that affect me?
Another one of these rules is that as children, you have the right to have a say and share your opinions about things that affect you. Adults should listen to you and take you seriously. This means that when adults make decisions that will affect you, they should ask for your opinion. There will be lots of things adults have to consider, but your opinion should be listened to.
Do adults in power need to think about kids?
The next rule is that when adults in power make decisions, they must think about how those decisions will affect children and then do what is best for children. Governments must make sure you are protected in your family and in places that care for you.
How are human rights protected in the ACT?
The ACT is the first place in Australia to have a special law protecting human rights. It is called the Human Rights Act.
We are working on a whole section of this website about the Human Rights Act that is written just for children, so you can read about it, or watch a video here soon!