Jalisco has become the first state in Mexico to have almost every municipality sign up to a new initiative sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) to advance the rights of children and adolescents.
Of Jalisco’s 125 municipalities, 105 – including Chapala – will adhere to ten strategic actions proposed by the Unicef-led program Diez por la Infancia, with support from government agencies, federal and state legislatures and civil society.
The initiative is also directed at the general population of Mexico, and asks everyone to commit to 10 concrete actions whether in politics, their communities or personal lives.The actions cover different fields, from heath to education, nutrition to adolescent participation, the juvenile justice system to preventing violence.
“In a context riddled with inequities, where children in need are often seen as subjects of assistance rather than rights-holders, it is essential to improve public attitudes, for example as regards child labour or adolescent participation”, said Unicef’s Representative Susana Sottoli.
“We have therefore called for all Mexicans to unite for children, to work together towards the full achievement of their rights, and the response has been extremely encouraging,” she said.
Among the actions: Ensure support so that all adolescents can enter and complete high school ... Promote mechanisms of participation for adolescents within the family, at school and in the community ... Ensure that adolescents have access to information and services on sexual and reproductive health, in order to reduce early pregnancies.