Institutional Barriers to the Implementation of Children’s Participation in Pakistan under United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC): Qualitative Study in Pakistan

Background One of the core principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is to achieve child participation in matters that concern them. However, the implementation of this principle faces different institutional barriers in Pakistan. This paper, while relying on interviews conducted in Punjab and federal area, attempts to find out what these institutional barriers are and presents an empirical analysis which Pakistan faces in promoting child participation. Methods A qualitative study design was used. Primary data was collected from 22 stakeholders in the public sector, NGOs and international organizations working on children’s issues and having knowledge about UNCRC. The data collected from the interviews were interpreted to identify common recurring themes and was further divided into thematic categories. Results The findings of this research shed light on significant barriers to child participation rights in Pakistan, highlighting key themes related to stakeholders’ attitudes, approaches toward the significance of children, institutionalization, coordination between federal and provincial levels, and the role of NGOs, civil society, and international organizations. Conclusions The research posits that the starting point for all the children specific organizations in Pakistan is to get themselves aware of the idea of importance of children so that they can implement it in the manner envisaged by UNCCRC and with a belief of its importance.