Protection, provision and participation: Addressing the intersection of children’s rights and gender based violence

Abstract

This paper explores the intersection of gender-based violence and children’s rights, and the vulnerabilities they experience on account of their gender and age. Particularly examining the extent to which states and international bodies work to protect the rights of girls through the lens of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the main pillars of protection, provision and participation. Conducted through a mixed methods approach, this research evaluates the legal, international, and institutional responses to rights violations of girls, namely sexual gender-based violence, female foeticide, and child marriage. By exploring academic journals, numerical data sets, and institutional publications, this paper argues that structural policy reforms are critical to the protection of girls in order to live a safe and dignified life.