Little Legislators, Big Impact
摘要
This chapter investigates the role of Children’s Parliaments as participatory platforms for promoting child rights, fostering leadership, and strengthening decision-making capacities among children in urban India. Grounded in the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the study focuses on five parliaments formed by SAMMAN NGO across Bhopal. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, it utilized surveys and focus group discussions to assess the impact of child participation. Quantitative analysis revealed that participation significantly influenced both decision-making (R2 = 0.336) and advocacy (R2 = 0.640), indicating that greater involvement leads to increased civic engagement. Qualitative insights highlight improvements in self-confidence, communication, and leadership, as children engaged in community-based initiatives such as awareness drives, environmental actions, and advocacy against child labor. The Children’s Parliament emerged as a critical space for expression, empowerment, and democratic practice particularly valuable in contexts where home and school environments often limit children’s agency. The chapter concludes that institutional support for such participatory bodies is vital for nurturing active citizenship and inclusive development. It recommends policy recognition, expanded demographic outreach, and longitudinal studies to track long-term impacts.