Moves are afoot for children to be consulted in decisions that affect them. Mary Evans hears some of the campaigners who are already giving children their say
One of the most compelling protests to hit the streets of London this spring was a peaceful demonstration by hundreds of children calling for smacking to be outlawed. Armed with banners reading, "We have rights too", they marched to Downing Street and handed in a letter to the Prime Minister calling for all physical punishment of children to be banned.
The protest was organised by Article 12, a group taking its name from Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which says all children have the right to express their views and to have them taken seriously. The group, which is led by young people, campaigns on a range of issues including lowering the voting age to at least 16. Their slogan is, "We can work, raise a family, pay taxes, join the army but still no vote."
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