Marie-Reine champions children’s rights in Geneva
Marie-Reine, a 14-year-old advocate from Togo, focused on children’s rights to health and education in her statement at the Annual Day on the Rights of the Child.
Motivated by her commitment to improving the lives of children in her community and fuelled by a belief in the value of her message, Marie-Reine, a youth advocate from Togo, travelled to Geneva to make a statement at the Annual Day on the Rights of the Child. Her determination and the power of her words made a real mark on the state representatives at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, who were gathered to advance the rights of children.
Marie-Reine began her journey in advocacy just over three years ago. She embraced leadership roles within her school and community. And her dedication to children’s rights was clear for all to see when she made her statement. Her determined and energetic delivery were not only indicators of how important the topic was to her, they were also markers of how powerful youth advocacy can be at multilateral meetings like the latest session of the Human Rights Council.
At the heart of Marie-Reine’s message was a focus on action and what can be done to address issues faced by children, especially in remote communities in her country. Her priorities include improving access to healthcare for children, encouraging schools to include comprehensive sex education in their programmes, and campaigning for youth participation in decision-making processes about children.
Health and education
“Health is the most important thing,” says Marie-Reine. “All children should have health, so that they can enjoy the other rights that come after it. If you don’t have health, you won’t be able to study, you won’t be able to express what you want, you won’t be able to do anything at all.”
Marie-Reine’s commitment to campaigning for social protection for children is rooted in her daily experience. Her recommendations also reflect a commitment to improving the lives of children around her.
“I realised that in my community there are a lot of children who suffer,” she says. “And not just in my community, but in Togo in general. There are a lot of poor children and a lot of poor parents. So I’ve tried to use my skills to help all these children so that they can actually enjoy their rights.”
“Then there is the insufficient health infrastructure,” says Marie-Reine. Despite the existence of several health insurance programmes in her country, access to care remains difficult. “You can go – they’ll treat you for free, but where there is no infrastructure, you won’t be able to benefit from this help.”
“Health is the most important thing. All children should have health, so that they can enjoy the other rights that come after it. If you don’t have health, you won’t be able to study, you won’t be able to express what you want, you won’t be able to do anything at all.”
Marie-Reine
For Marie-Reine, the state as well as organisations helping to address these problems need support to improve healthcare for children in her country. Decisions need to be taken to construct health centres in remote villages and farms, and these centres need qualified staff.
Marie-Reine’s statement to the Human Rights Council also focused on the rights of children to education. Many girls are forced out of school in her community, due to early pregnancies. The absence of sex education makes the problem worse, leaving children vulnerable to abuse and limiting their opportunities.
“We could build centres for teenagers and young people, so that they can learn about sexual and reproductive health, so that they have an idea of what it is, what the dangers are, what the benefits are,” says Marie-Reine.
The topic of sexual relations remains taboo between many parents and their children, and boys and girls have no or little access to information on sexual and reproductive health.
Recommendations for change
Speaking at the Annual Day on the Rights of the Child, Marie-Reine put forward several key recommendations to help improve social protection for children in her community.
These included:
- Building adolescent-friendly health and listening centres.
- Ensuring universal healthcare access.
- Supporting the civil society organisations which are on the ground.
- Prioritising children’s participation in decision-making processes.
- Strengthening sexual and reproductive health programmes, especially in remote areas.
Looking ahead, Marie-Reine remains optimistic. From advocating for children’s rights to developing her passion for theatre, she is always hopeful. She also dreams of becoming a renowned cardiologist, and looks forward to a future where she continues to serve her community and where every child has access to more opportunities.
“The heart is the centre of life – so I’m choosing this direction to ensure the right to health for everyone.” In her community, Marie-Reine says: “I can raise awareness to explain to children what their rights are, and how to assert them. I can also explain to parents the advantages of children enjoying their rights, telling them that children are the future. By fully enjoying their rights, they will be able to build a more perfect world in the future.”
Overcoming language barriers with the other children present in Geneva for the Human Rights Council meeting, Marie-Reine enjoyed the sense of sharing a mission with her fellow advocates.
“With the other children, there’s no discrimination… we’re all together, we work together, and with a big smile, that’s what’s most important.”
“Being here in Geneva and representing all the children of Togo is a step forward for me…”
It is not an easy task to provide an international audience with a clear idea of local realities and problems, but in her visit to Geneva, and in her focus on a more equitable life for children in her community, Marie-Reine demonstrated what can happen when children are given space to raise their voices.
“With the other children, there’s no discrimination… we’re all together, we work together, and with a big smile, that’s what’s most important.”
Marie-Reine
Marie-Reine’s journey to #HRC55
On March 14, Marie-Reine delivered a statement as a panellist on the Annual Day on the Rights of the Child (ADRC) at the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Marie-Reine’s visit was supported by Child Rights Connect and Plan International’s UN Liaison Office in Geneva. During a busy week, she met Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor and representatives from the permanent mission of the Togolese Republic in Geneva. She also attended a breakfast for the children at the Human Rights Council, hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Lithuania.
ADRC24 focuses on inclusive social protection and child rights mainstreaming
The 2024 ADRC was a day of discussions on the measures needed to ensure children can grow up in a healthy, happy, safe and fair environment, and on how to ensure children and children’s rights are included and considered by the whole UN in all its work and at all levels, both internally and externally. ADRC is a yearly celebration and discussion on children’s rights during the March sessions of the Human Rights Council. Children all over the world continually tell us that they want “nothing about us without us”. Marie-Reine’s statement at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council was a persuasive reminder of the value of child participation in international decision-making processes.
You can watch the webcast of Marie-Reine’s statement here (starting at 1:34:28).
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