Child-sensitive Budgeting: So That Their Voices Ring Out – Loud And Clear!

Some 180 Junior Members of Parliament from all of Cameroon’s 10 administrative regions – and coming from different social, ethnic and linguistic groups – are meeting in Government Bilingual Technical High School, Nkolbisson, Yaounde from June 17-27, 2025. In the 26th Cameroon Children’s Parliament and as part of the fifth Month of the Cameroonian Child. The theme of this year’s junior parliamentary sitting, which is organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs, MINAS, is “Mobilising the nation for child rights-sensitive planning and budgeting.” 

With messages adorning the school campus like “A child-sensitive budget is a commitment to the future!” and “Junior Members of Parliament, be the voices of children,” June 23, 2025 was United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF day with the child legislators. According to Anne Fourchard, Head of Advocacy Communication, UNICEF Cameroon, child-rights sensitive budgeting takes into account the specific needs of children.

“Some children continue to suffer from malnutrition, die in the first five years of life, are afflicted by preventable diseases, vaccination challenges persist, access to health and education remain a major concern, while child protection demands greater attention… Such budgeting ensures that funds are allocated to tackle children-specific challenges,” Fourchard clarified. 
Child-rights sensitive budgeting translates into concrete action in health, education, nutrition, access to water and sanitation services for children, instead of spending on other national priorities. Personnel needs must also be factored into child-rights sensitive budgeting – health, education, community health volunteers, social protection staff of the Ministry of Social Affairs…, she explained. “This is not easy, but it is a commitment Cameroon took by ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,” Fourchard admitted.
“We expected from the conversation with Junior Parliamentarians to listen to their expectations. The challenges children face differ from region to region. The Junior Parliamentarians are so intelligent, with a high level of understanding. What the children proposed will help UNICEF in planning its activities and also to carry out advocacy with government. Junior Parliamentarians were encouraged to ask questions when they meet in Parliament with senior parliamentarians and cabinet ministers,” Anne added.    
Citing the 2018 Demographic and Household Survey, Yolande Abena, UNICEF Cameroon Child Protection Officer, said violence against children stands at 7.7 per cent (for girls aged 15-19 years), and 2.1 per cent for boys. As a result, girls are more vulnerable to violence than boy...