A pioneer of children’s rights, Eglantyne Jebb
Although her name may not be known to many, Eglantyne Jebb can truly be considered to be a hero and a pioneer of children’s rights. As a result of her work and her dedication to the rights of children, the Declaration of Rights of the Child finally became international law in 1990.
Eglantyne Jebb was the founder of the Save the Children organization. She believed that the rights of children needed to be protected and enforced in society. Jebb wrote a document known as the World Child Welfare Charter in 1923, which was adopted by the League of Nations General Assembly in 1924. Unfortunately, they were only guidelines for countries to follow, and were not made into international law.
Little did Jebb know she was starting something which would take nearly seventy years to become international law. Many people believe that had she known this, she would have worked even harder to see her dream realized.
Jebb was tireless in her pursuit of this dream; at no time did she forget the rights of the children she was fighting to protect.
It was not until November 20, 1959 that the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was created by the United Nations General Assembly, expanding on Jebb’s original five criteria to make ten.
This date, November 20, is now Universal Children’s Day. However, this is not the end of the story. It took another thirty-one years for this declaration to become international law. This happened on September 2 1990. This document consists of fifty-four articles that address the basic human rights children all over the world are entitled to.
These fifty-four articles are based on four core principles:
– non-discrimination of the child, regardless of age, sex or ethnic origin
– the necessity to act in the best interests of the child
– the right of the child to life, survival and development
– respect for the views of the child.
The legacy of Eglantyne Jebb continues in this international declaration.