Child Human Rights Defenders

5.2. Data Collection and Monitoring

The DGD2018 highlighted the fact that there is limited data on the lived experience of CHRDs and on violations of their rights, partly due to the lack of awareness and understanding of CHRDs’ rights and partly due to the fact that relevant data is not collected through the CHRDs lens and disaggregated by age. Many stakeholders do not consider children as HRDs: data collection on HRDs focuses on adults and/or youth and data collection on children does not focus on their activity as CHRDs. CHRDs are rendered invisible. 

Indicators and data collection mechanisms focused on the rights of CHRDs are needed to help children and all other relevant stakeholders (States, civil society, NHRIs, Children’s Ombudspersons, UN and regional human rights mechanisms, inter-governmental monitoring bodies) collect data, monitor and report on the realization of the rights of CHRDs. This can also provide an opportunity to document and share good practice. Data should be disaggregated (by gender, disability, ethnicity, etc) so that the impact on particular CHRDs can be monitored. CHRDs themselves should be given opportunities to conduct their own data gathering and to contribute to other studies.  It is also important that data collection processes and data sources are not misused and do not, in particular, expose CHRDs to harm such as reprisals.