Source: Save the Children
Children and young people across Aotearoa New Zealand have until Friday to cast their votes in Save the Children’s Kiwi Kids Vote, with around 250 children already having their say on the issues they want New Zealand’s leaders to prioritise.
The initiative gives tamariki and rangatahi under 18, who are not yet old enough to vote in next month’s General Election, an opportunity to experience voting and express their views about the issues that affect their lives and futures.
Early responses to Kiwi Kids Vote, together with messages from children shared through Save the Children’s Postcards to the Prime Minister campaign, are highlighting some clear concerns and hopes for the future.
Among the issues children are raising are:
- protecting the environment
- greater job opportunities for young people
- better education opportunities and support
- access to housing
- tackling child poverty
- the cost of living.
Save the Children New Zealand Programmes and Advocacy Director Jacqui Southey says the final days of voting are an important opportunity for more children to make their voices heard.
“With the election approaching, adults across New Zealand are talking about the issues that matter to them and the kind of country they want to live in. Children deserve to be part of that conversation too.
“What we’re hearing from children is that they are thinking about some of the big challenges facing Aotearoa. They care about their education and future job opportunities, whether their families can afford the basics, whether people have a safe and secure place to live, and what kind of environment they will inherit.
“These are decisions that will shape children’s lives for many years to come. They may not yet be able to cast an official vote, but they have every right to have a say on the decisions that affect them.”
The Kiwi Kids Vote campaign was created to give children an opportunity both to experience the democratic process and to share their views, with schools able to incorporate it into classroom learning or run their own voting activities.
Ms Southey says the combination of Kiwi Kids Vote and Postcards to the Prime Minister provides a valuable snapshot of what children themselves want decision-makers to think about.
“We often talk about children and young people, but it is just as important that we hear directly from them.
“With only a few days left, we’d love to see many more children from across the country cast their vote and share their views. The more children who take part, the stronger the picture we have of what matters to them.”
Children have until Friday 30 October to vote at Kiwi Kids Vote (http://www.kiwikidsvote.nz/) or find out more through Save the Children New Zealand’s Kiwi Kids Vote page (https://www.savethechildren.org.nz/news/education-hub/kiwi-kids-vote).
About Save the Children NZ
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.