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The quotes below illustrate how young people around the world experience discrimination and their views on how to fight it.

If you want to know how to paint, you consult a painter; if you want to eat, consult a chef; so if you want to know about children's issues, you have to consult young people.
- young person, NGO Advisory Panel to the UN Study on Violence against Children
"World Report on Violence against Children", Paulo Sergio Pinheiro (2006) p. 334.

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Contents: What is discrimination? - Children's experiences - Who discriminates? - What can be done about it? - Upload case studies of youth-led advocacy against discrimination

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What is discrimination?

...to treat a person differently, on account of something which makes him/ her different - Female, 16, Paysandú, Uruguay.
Comité de los derechos del niño (2005) p. 34.

Discrimination is when someone approaches you and tells you: “we won't talk to this guy because he's black”. They put us aside only because we are different, we have darker skin..."
- Male, 16, Rivera, Uruguay
“Discrimination and Human Rights in Uruguay – The voice of children and adolescents”, Comité de los derechos del niño – Uruguay and Save the Children Sweden (2005) p. 32.

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How children experience discrimination

for being young:

If the Prime Minister lived my life for a week, he would find that he is constantly victimised just for being a young person. He would find that instead of walking in a shopping centre, proud to be a world leader, he would instead be frowned upon by the world as a trouble maker and potential shop lifter. He would find that instead of being able to go where he wants, when he wants, that he is restricted by signs saying “no more than one child at any time”. At this point he’d think to himself, if that sign said “no more than one gay at any time” or “no more than one old person at any time”, that it would be against the law.
- Male, 17, Lincolnshire, UK.
"We are all equal and that's the truth" - Children and young people talk about age discrimination and equality, Children's Rights Alliance for England (2008), p. 1.

...adults always think that young people are less than others, don't they?
Comité de los derechos del niño (2005), p. 73

because of age and gender:

I was just 15 years old and was studying in Grade 9 when my dreams shattered. I was attacked with acid for refusing a marriage proposal. You can imagine the physical pain of having acid thrown over your face and body, but the pain of social stigma is worse than physical pain and can last forever.
- Acid victim, South and Central Asia
Pinheiro (2006), p. 56

I am 8 years old and was raped when I was 6. My parents made a complaint to the police and he was sent to jail. But I cannot stay where I live any more. You know what they call me here? They have nicknamed me the “tainted” (la déchirée)...even when I go to the well to get water the kids call me that. I want to run away from here.
- Girl, 8, Eastern and Southern Africa
Pinheiro (2006) p. 65

We are at a disadvantage because of our age. Adults don't believe what we say when something like this happens. That's why we don't say anything. I have a girlfriend whose stepfather touches her and she was even punished when she told her mother about it.
- Boy, 15, Latin America
Pinheiro (2006) p. 81

in the workplace:

No child should have to fight a war or carry heavy loads and neither should a child have to work long hours without pay or be abused or treated unfairly. Children deserve to be treated as equals in the workplace and those who abuse them should be severely punished. Equality and quality in the workplace is what the children want.
- Child, Eastern and Southern Africa, 2005
Pinheiro (2006), p. 252

for having a disability:

When I come out of my house the people point at me and say. Why don't you stay in, look at you! You cannot walk properly.
- Boy, 12, with physical disabilities, South Asia, 2005.
Pinheiro (2006), p. 302

When I come out of my house, the people point at me and say, ‘why don’t you stay in, look at you! You cannot walk properly!’ But my problem is not my disability. It is the attitude of people who make fund of me.
- Boy, Lahore, Pakistan
Concluding Observations analysis South Asia

for having refugee status:

At the river we are beaten by the owners of the wells, the women. They shout at us “Why didn't you come with your own wells from [your own country]?” They beat us with hands but also beat us with bottles and sticks.
- Girls, Eastern and Southern Africa, 2005
Pinheiro (2006), p. 299

for being a girl:

I used to think that being a girl I don't have the right to protest when boys and men misbehave with me. But after joining the child club I came to know that I have all the right to feel safe all the time. I can protect and protest whenever someone tries to harass or abuse me. My body is mine and I have the right to protect it.
- Girl, 13, South Asia, 2005
Pinheiro (2006), p. 320

for being from a different caste:

I too, have suffered from discrimination. I am 17 years old. We are poor. We work for the rich Naidus and Brahmims (upper castes) in their fields, sowing the saplings, taking out weeds and harvesting. They poured porridge in our hands and we would take that. When we called Brahmins during the time of harvest, they would not touch or speak to us. At school, children of other castes would speak ill of us. If we went outside to work, they asked us what caste we were. When we said that we were Pariahs (a lower caste) and asked for water, they asked us to drink water kept in a jar separately and refused to give it with their own hands.
- Girl, Tamil Nadu, India
“Review of the Concluding Observations: Non Discrimination, Disability and Ethnic Rights for South Asia” (Save the Children Sweden, 2008), p. 1.

I stopped going to the government school because when I spoke to my friends in Urdu they punished me.
- An Urdu-speaking child, Andhra Pradesh, India
Save the Children Sweden (2008), p. 12

Who discriminates?

Most people discriminate, the police, their is no doubt...you are discriminated against the most because they see you there, a bit dirty and they hit you with the truncheon in the head.
- Male, 17, Montevideo, Uruguay
Comité de los Derechos del Niño – Uruguay (2005), p. 33

They [politicians] pretend to give young people opportunities, and that they do things for young people, but they don't do anything. They do nothing for young people, neither politicians, nor anyone.
- Group of adolescents, Uruguay
Comité de los Derechos del Niño – Uruguay (2005) p. 75

In the [supermarket] because they saw me begging and then I would go with my mother when we had some money, we would go shopping there and they would follow us all over the place, and if I entered alone, they wouldn't let me inside.
- Male, 16, Paysandú, Uruguay
Comité de los Derechos del Niño – Uruguay (2005) p. 81

What should be done about it?

I genuinely believe that the only way in which we can collectively, as a society, try to rule out ageism – not only towards the younger generation – is to make it an official part of UK law. Everyone has the right to be treated as equals, as well as individuals. Young people’s assets and achievements need to be recognised over their supposed ‘flaws’.
- Female, 17, Hertfordshire, UK
Children's Rights Alliance for England (2008), p. 30

Equality is like everything. It is like not paying attention to differences that may not be actual differences. We all have the same abilities, and despite not having the same opportunities, we do have the same ability to develop the same things. It would be nice if we all had the same possibilities to be equal as well.
- Female, 16, Paysandú, Uruguay
Comité de los Derechos del Niño – Uruguay (2005), p. 36

Some adults don't let adolescents give their opinion. That is discrimination.
- Male, 15, Rivera, Uruguay
(p. 75)

It would require a change in world politics for this to work.
- Female, 16, Paysandú, Uruguay
(p. 89)

It would imply changing everybody's mind
-Male, Montevideo, Uruguay

They could give information, brochures, instructions. We are all human beings, we all have financial problems, we cannot all be physically equal, nor can we all think in the same way, otherise it wouldn't be... but it can be avoided.
- Male, 18, Uruguay

At school, children should be taught to play with everyone else. The school has a responsibility, high school too. Everyone I guess. [..] I think that instead of discriminating against people they should get to know each other better. Look for a way in which everybody would be aware of discrimination, put it aside...
- Female, 17, Rivera Uruguay

I think that if people break the law in the way that they treat people, there has got to be punishments for organisations. The Government has got to say that there are consequences if you break it. People have got to be aware that there’s got to be some sort of punishment available. Laws are made to be followed, not to be broken. So there has to be something there to scare organisations and companies into treating people properly.
- Female, 17, Northeast England
Children's Rights Alliance for England (2008), p. 21

Yes, if you’ve got a youth council or youth forum in your area, and they’re not making much progress because adults are not taking them seriously, if you’ve got the weight of having anti discriminatory law that includes age then you’ve got that to back them up so there’s more weight. Does that make sense? If you had that legislation behind you then you’d be able to push things forward.
- Female, 17, Hertfordshire, UK
Children's Rights Alliance for England (2008), p. 20

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Last updated 09/09/2009 04:09:40

Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.

DISCRIMINATION: Young people's experiences and views on discrimination

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