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UNICEF Picture My Rights photo competition

25 July 2023

Picture My Rights photo competition open to young people is an exercise of children’s right to participation

UNICEF Malaysia launched Picture My Rights, that seeks to raise awareness on children’s rights and the challenges affecting them. The contest is a platform for young people to share their creativity, courage and optimism to help change the world around them.

Marc Vergara, Chief of Communication and Public Advocacy at UNICEF Malaysia said, “Technological advancement means young people have the tools to speak out about the issues they believe in. We are asking them to lean into their creativity, to show us striking images that tell a story about how young people see their rights in today’s Malaysia. We want them to take a shot at life.”

Article 13 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child uphold children’s right to express themselves in ways that are meaningful to them. Picture My Rights invites young people to express their views about children’s rights and issues that matter to them through the medium of a photo.

Young people aged 13 to 24 years old and living in Malaysia are invited to submit photos that demonstrate any of the five different themes:

Dignity & A fair chance

Every child deserves to be treated with respect. It doesn’t matter what your gender, race, religion or nationality is, or if you have a disability. Children have a right to a life of dignity.

Survival & Development

Shelter, nutritious food, clean water, medical and health care are basic needs that every child deserves to survive and thrive. Children have a right to grow up in a clean, safe and healthy environment.

Education

Every child has a right to a quality education – and not just in school. Children’s education should develop their personality and abilities and help them respect other people, cultures and the environment.

Protection from violence

No child should ever have to experience abuse, bullying, sexual violence, exploitation or neglect – whether at home, in school, in institutions or online. All children have the right to be protected from being hurt or badly treated in any way.

Participation

Children have the right to give their opinions freely on issues that affect them. They should be allowed to share their thoughts through photographs, drawings, writing or in any other way unless it harms other people.

Marc Vergara adds, “Child participation is a key principle in the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Participation is an opportunity to have a say about issues and decisions that affect them, learn new skills, have fun, and develop a closer connection to their community. Through Picture My Rights, we want to encourage young people in Malaysia to express themselves freely, to show us life through their lens.”

The campaign runs for two months from 17 July to 20 September 2023 and encourages children and young people to post their masterpiece on Instagram with a caption that includes the hashtags #PictureMyRights and #AShotatLife. Those without an Instagram account or who have private accounts can submit their photos via email to mediakl@unicef.org.

The best photos and caption will be in the running to win four iPhone 14s, with two winners accorded to each age category (13-17 years and 18-24 year). Winning entries will also be featured in a special World Children’s Day virtual exhibition in November 2023.

World Children’s Day, celebrated on 20 November commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). As the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, the CRC is an international agreement that outlines the full range of rights that children should enjoy to grow, learn, play, and reach their full potential. Malaysia ratified the CRC in 1995, with expressed reservations remaining to five articles.

This is the third Picture My Rights children’s photo contest. The first was in 2014, and the second in 2017.

Learn more about the contest and children’s rights from the microsite:

https://children4change.unicef.my/picture-my-rights