Children Shaping Decisions: How Child Participation is Driving Change

Guest blog by Inaya Muhammad.

All children have the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. When they are given the opportunity to share their views, those perspectives can help shape policies, improve public services, and influence decisions that affect them and other children in their communities.

Around the world, Save the Children is supporting children and adolescents to take part in public decision-making. From national budget consultations to reviewing government plans during election periods and engaging directly with political candidates, children are proving that they can make valuable contributions.

Child-led advocacy shapes national budget decisions in Malawi

When governments make decisions about national budgets, children are rarely part of the conversation, despite how funds are allocated being critical to ensuring children have access to the services and support they need. In Malawi though, that is beginning to change.

Through child-led advocacy platforms, supported by Save the Children and partners, children and adolescents participated in both pre-budget and national budget consultations with the Ministry of Finance. They shared their priorities for education, health and child protection, and called for greater investment in the National Children’s Commission.

Since its launch, the Commission, established to monitor children’s rights and hold public institutions and government authorities accountable, has faced significant funding constraints since its launch. Children recognized the important role it plays in protecting their rights and made a strong case for increased investment.

The efforts of the child-led advocacy helped contribute to a significant result, with the Government of Malawi increasing funding for the National Children’s Commission from MK200 million to MK1 billion (from approx. $162k to $812k CAD).

The increase will strengthen the Commission’s ability to monitor and promote children’s rights, but it also reflects something equally important: when children are given the opportunity to participate in national decision-making, their priorities can help shape real policy outcomes.

Children and adolescents bring child rights into Peru’s election debate

Elections shape the future of every country, but for many children and adolescents who are impacted by the outcomes of these elections, they have no say in the electoral process.

In Peru, more than 100 children and adolescents from 10 regions found a way to make sure children’s rights were part of that conversation.

As part of the Vote for Children campaign, participants came together for the Hackathon: Children and Adolescents in Government Plans, where they analyzed government plans through the lens of children’s rights. They identified proposals that would affect children and adolescents, and transformed their findings into communication products designed to inform and engage the wider public.

Instead of standing on the sidelines of the electoral process, these young people helped bring children’s rights into the national discussion. Their work encouraged voters to look beyond campaign promises and consider how government commitments would affect children, while demonstrating the valuable role young people can play in public debate.

Young people hold political candidates accountable in Thailand

What happens when students get the opportunity to ask political candidates the questions that matter most to them?

In Thailand, young people answered that question by creating the Candidate Classroom—a youth-led initiative organized by the Bad Students group —which brought together candidates from four political parties to discuss education policy, school regulations, discrimination, and student rights.

Rather than following the format of a traditional political debate, the event used interactive games and discussions based on students’ everyday experiences. Adolescents designed the event themselves, led the conversations, and challenged candidates to respond directly to the issues affecting students in their schools and communities.

By creating this platform, the students ensured their perspectives became part of the public conversation during the election period.

Children’s voices belong where decisions are made

The stories from Malawi, Peru and Thailand show that children are not waiting until adulthood, or legal voting age, to contribute to their communities. When they are given the opportunity to participate, they bring perspectives that help shape policies, strengthen public discussion, and ensure that decisions better reflect the realities of children’s lives. 

Meaningful child participation is more than inviting children to share their opinions. It means creating opportunities for them to engage with decision-makers, contribute to public processes, and see how their ideas can make a difference for themselves and other children in their country. 

Across the world, Save the Children continues to work alongside children and young people to make those opportunities possible. By supporting safe and meaningful participation, we can help build systems that are more responsive to children today—and ensure that the decisions shaping their futures are informed by the people who will live with them the longest.