Empowering Children: Postcolonial Perspectives on Children’s Rights

Welcome back to MHREC’s Empowering Children: Building a Rights-Respecting Community Campaign, an awareness series on children’s rights! This week, we’re exploring how postcolonial perspectives can enrich our understanding of children’s rights.

Children’s Rights Through a Postcolonial Lens

Welcome back to our summer series on children’s rights! This week, we’re exploring how postcolonial perspectives can enrich our understanding of children’s rights.

Why a Postcolonial Lens?

Many of the ideas and frameworks around children’s rights are rooted in Western perspectives. While these can be very effective, they don’t always account for the diverse cultural contexts worldwide. A postcolonial approach helps us see beyond this narrow view and appreciate the rich diversity of childhood experiences.

Critique of Western Norms

Western norms often shape international children’s rights policies, but these norms sometimes feel like a cultural imposition. For example, the idea of a “proper” childhood might look very different in various parts of the world. By critically examining these norms, we can better understand and respect other ways of raising children.

Incorporating Indigenous Perspectives

Indigenous cultures have their own rich traditions of child-rearing and community support. These perspectives can offer valuable insights into children’s rights, emphasising community, interdependence, and respect for nature. Including these viewpoints can lead to more holistic and culturally sensitive policies.

Practical Steps for Decolonising Children’s Rights

1. Inclusive Policy-Making: Ensure policy discussions include voices from the Global South and indigenous communities.
2. Cultural Sensitivity: Develop children’s rights frameworks that respect and integrate local traditions and values.
3. Education and Awareness: Promote understanding of diverse cultural perspectives among policymakers, educators, and advocates.

Snapshot of Malta

In Malta, research on early literacy practices reflects this postcolonial perspective. Bonello highlights how Malta’s colonial past’s historical and cultural influences impact boys’ literacy achievement. This work advocates for recognising children’s voices and integrating culturally relevant texts and practices into education to bridge the gap between home and school literacy experiences. Further information on the study may be found at here. 

Conclusion

Using a postcolonial lens, we can create a more inclusive and practical approach to children’s rights that respects and celebrates cultural diversity.

Join us next week as we delve into the philosophical debate between liberation and caretaker perspectives on children’s rights. Until then, let’s continue to advocate for a more inclusive and culturally sensitive approach.

Il-Homework tal-Ġimgħa: Poll

We want to hear from you! Do you think international children’s rights policies adequately consider diverse cultural perspectives? Take our poll and keep an eye on our socials to see what others think.

 

This activity is part of the project “Strengthening Children’s Rights Advocacy through International Training”. Partly funded by the Government of Malta Social Causes Fund.