The role of civil society in influencing more equitable public policies for children, Social Observatory Foundation (Ecuador). Mrs. Margarita Velasco, Director.

1. Fundación Observatorio Social del
Ecuador: Monitoring Children’s
Rights fulfillment since 2002

2. On November 19 2014, in the ceremony
conmemorating the 25 years of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child in the
main conference room of Ecuador’s
Parliament its president recognized the
Foundation Observatory of Children’s Rights
for its contribution to the policy making
process.
It was also acknowledged for being a voice of
civil society with a high technical level
through its invention of the index of children’s
rights and its engagement with the children
of Ecuador.

3. How did a civil society organization
reach this point after 12 years of work
and 4 different governments?

4. Where is Ecuador and its children?
• Ecuador is located in South America,
bordering Colombia and Peru.
• Population: 15’ 000 000, 37% are
children.
• 5’ 797 724 children (0-17 years olds).
• 6 out of 10 children live in the cities
• 12% of children have some sort of
disability.
South America

5. Children of Ecuador
8% of children are
afroecuadorean
76% of children are mestizos 7% of children are montubios
9% of children are indigenous

6. What is the Observatory (2002-2014)?
Social Observatory of
Ecuador Foundation
It is placed in
a civil society
organization
Emerges as a
Unicef
initiative in
2002
It is called the
Observatory of
Children and
Adolescents

7. What are the components of the
Observatory?
Political
Incidence
Component
• Civil Society Council: members were recognized
leaders from different parts of the country that were
constantly lobbying for the fulfillment of children’s
rights,
Technical
Component
• A highly qualified technical team which produces,
processes and analyzes information concerning the
situation of children and adolescents
Communications
Component
• Strong alliances with the media. Workshops with
journalists concerning the use of the information
produced and about children rights.

8. Characteristics of the Observatory’s work
• Technical leadership from the civil society which allows us to be
objective and autonomous in order to monitor progress,
deterioration and gaps in the fulfillment of children’s rights.
• The technical analysis team uses high quality information
produced by the State when available and if not, we produce our
own which is later used by the State.
• We do not monitor the Government but the State and its policies
in favor children and adolescents and the civil society with its
attitude towards children.

9. Characteristics of the Observatory’s work
Our commitment is with the children not with the political party in
power.
• The media is constantly using our information and analytical
documents as a source to better understand the children’s
situation.
• NGOs such as Plan International and World Vision use our
information to work directly in the communities.
We are an ally for the State’s policy makers and local NGOs.

10. What have we always believed?
• The rights of the
children and
adolescents should
be universally
fulfilled.
• Construction of an
equal and
participative
society.

11. We were part of a transformation
process …
Civil Society:
• 20 years of the Childhood Social Movement
State:
• Creation of the Childhood Information System of Ecuador.
• Existence of public policy in favor of children and adolescents.
• Existence of a legal framework for the protection of children

12. What is our main tool to impact
policy making ?
INFORMATION produced
by a civil society
organization in order to
generate alerts and track
commitments.

13. .
Our measuring tool INDEX OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS (IDN)
A periodic measure
(depends on data
availability)
•INFORMATION WITH A MESSAGE and presented
as school grade on a scale from 0 to 10.
• IDN of 10: perfect fulfillment of children’s rights.
• IDN of 0: no fulfillment of children’s rights
With the objective of: 1. Measuring the country’s performance in the
fulfillment of children’s rights.
2. Raising awareness about the inequities that
impact the childhood in Ecuador.

14. What grade did Ecuador get on its
Children’s Rights Index 1 (IDN 1)?
(0-5 years of age)
4.7 4.9 5.1
6.5
7.7
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
IDN 1: 7.7 out of 10

15. Why did Ecuador get that grade on its
IDN1 ?
18
22
26
5
13.6
10
25.3
3.2
Child mortality rate % of out- of- school
children
Chronic malnutrition in
children younger than 5
years of age (%).
Illiteracy in women (15-
49 years old) (%)
2004 2012
X1000 nv

16. What grade did Ecuador get on its
Children’s Rights Index 2 (IDN 2)?
(6-11 years of age)
3.3
3.8
2004 2010
IDN 2: 3.8 out of 10
Information about violence
NOT available

17. Why did Ecuador get that grade on its
IDN2 ?
8
12
52
3
10
53
Children from 11 to 12 years old
that do not finish primary school
(%)
Children that do not share any
recreational activity with their
parents (%)
Children who suffer from
physical punishment (%)
2004 2010

18. What grade did Ecuador get on its
Children’s Rights Index 3 (IDN 3)?
(12-17 years of age)
3.6
3.3
3.6 3.7
5.3
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
IDN 3: 5.3 out of 10

19. Why did Ecuador get that grade on its
IDN3 ?
6.5
30
23.2
9.3
35.4
16.3
Babies born from teenage
mothers (%)
Preventable deaths of teenagers
(homicides, suicides and car
accidents) (%)
% of out school adolescents
2004 2012

20. Summarizing the IDNs are evidence about the public
policies’ impact on children’s lives. Moreover, these
demonstrate the persistent inequity and a society
that hardly ever changes in their adult-centric
relationship with children.

21. • Will we manage to make of this world a better place for our
children?
• How many more generations will have to live in social
exclusion?
•
Only a permanent work from the State and Civil
Society can reduce the gaps and eliminate them.