Efforts to stop children's use in election period stressed

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 22: Stakeholders working in child rights, safeguarding and protection have emphasized the need for collective action to identify, prevent and respond to emerging risks faced by children, particularly in digital spaces and during election periods. 

The call was made during a discussion held in Kathmandu to share findings from a monitoring report prepared by the Children as Zones of Peace (CZOP) National Campaign.

Tilottam Paudel, President of CZOP, said the campaign recorded over 286 incidents of child rights violations during the House of Representatives (HoR) elections held on March 5.  

He added that some incidents concerning the misuse of children were reported even after the election.

“Children were mobilised to create and share digital content in favour of some political parties. They were also found carrying party flags and symbols, participating in rallies, chanting slogans, and distributing promotional materials,” Paudel said.

Durga Prasad Chalise, Under Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, emphasised the need for stronger safeguarding measures to prevent exploitation of children in the digital sphere. “We must remain cautious about the increasing risk of children being used as content creators to spread misinformation and disinformation,” he said.

Khimananda Basyal from the National Human Rights Commission said the commission had also received reports on the misuse of children during the elections. He stressed that preventing such practices should be a shared responsibility of the government, civil society and other stakeholders.

Shree Adhikari, Project Coordinator at the National Child Rights Council, called for strict enforcement of policies concerning the misuse of children. “There should be a zero-tolerance policy towards the exploitation of children in any election-related activities. Policies must be implemented effectively in practice,” he said. Siromani Dhungana, Director at the Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (ACORAB) Nepal, reiterated that political parties are strictly prohibited from involving children in election campaigns, including rallies, slogan chanting and distribution of campaign materials.

He also highlighted the critical role of the media in monitoring, reporting and preventing the misuse of children in both digital platforms and other election-related activities. Dhungana emphasised the need for vigilance from all sectors to ensure that policies are translated into action to uphold child rights and safeguarding measures.

Participants collectively underlined the importance of strengthening accountability mechanisms, raising awareness, and ensuring coordinated efforts to protect children from exploitation both online and offline in the days to come. They emphasized that political parties should clearly state their commitments to avoid the misuse of children in election related campaigning. The Election Commission Nepal should equally formulate guidelines to avoid potential exploitation of children.