Baby steps to a child-to-child network: A path to empower children for exercising their participation rights

Abstract

This study focuses on an adult-initiated and child-led research journey that aimed to explore the path to empower children towards exercising their participation rights in different environments of their lives. To this end, a series of multi-stage participation empowerment activities were carried out with 60 children in Istanbul, as guided by the child participation model and ecological systems theory. Findings are narrated through children's voices and illustrate their multifaceted opinions, challenges and demands with respect to how they participate in life. Children's experiences in this research journey suggest that grassroots of a child-to-child participation network is possible via empowerment and capacity building activities.