In Brazil, Children’s Day calls for renewal of the pact in defense of their rights

Today is Children's Day in Brazil and, to celebrate it, adults offer them gifts and entertainment. The date also helps us reflect on how to ensure the rights of children and adolescents rights of children and adolescents ^[1].

These rights are recognized by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the UN on October 20, 1989. Brazil was one of the first countries (among 196) to ratify it, on September 02, 1990[2]. The Convention and Brazil’s Federal Constitution itself recognize the rights of children and adolescents: (i) to equality, with no distinction as to race, color, origin, religion, etc.; (i) to protection for physical, mental and social development; (iii) to name and nationality; (iv) to adequate food, housing and medical care (pre and postpartum); (v) to education and special care for children (PwD); (vi) to protection against abandonment and exploitation at work ^[3].

There are many challenges to implementing these principles, especially in a vast country such as Brazil, where inequalities have been further exposed by the pandemic. School dropout rates, for example, increased 171% in 2021[4], since the pandemic limited students’ access and permanence in education at all levels (basic and higher).

There are no easy or ready-made answers to these challenges, but the special date also calls on society to renew this pact for the protection of children and adolescents.

[1] https://www.unicef.org/brazil/convencao-sobre-os-direitos-da-crianca

[2] https://www.unicef.org/brazil/historia-dos-direitos-da-crianca

[3] https://www.unicef.org/brazil/os-direitos-das-criancas-e-dos-adolescentes

[4] https://g1.globo.com/educacao/noticia/2021/12/02/evasao-escolar-de-criancas-e-adolescente-aumenta-171percent-na-pandemia-diz-estudo.ghtml

According to a report by Brazilian organization Todos Pela Educação, around 244,000 children and adolescents between 6 and 14 years old were out of school in Brazil in the second quarter of 2021. This represents a 171% increase compared to 2019, when 90,000 children were out of school. The data are from Brazil’s Continuous National Household Sample Survey/Continuous PNAD (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios Contínua/PNAD Contínua) which covers the effects of the pandemic.

By Isabella Parisi, lawyer specializing in Educational Law at Barcellos Tucunduva.