Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: No Discrimination

Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees that all children are entitled to the same rights without any form of discrimination. Every child, regardless of race, gender, language, religion, disability, birthplace, socioeconomic background, or family status, has the right to enjoy all protections and freedoms enshrined in the Convention. This article establishes not only a duty for states but a moral and social responsibility for every individual and institution in society. The principle of non-discrimination goes beyond treating everyone “the same.” It demands justice-based equality that considers each child’s unique circumstances. Equality is not about identical treatment; it is about providing fair opportunities that acknowledge different starting points.

Today, discrimination against children often manifests subtly, embedded within structures rather than expressed openly. In education, healthcare, media, and public life, certain groups of children remain invisible, an overlooked form of inequality. During the pandemic, prolonged school closures disproportionately affected children in rural or low-income communities. Many were excluded from education simply because they lacked access to online learning. As Karakoç Demirkaya (2021) observed, schools were “the first to close and the last to reopen,” creating a severe breach of children’s right to education and revealing that equality must be ensured not only in law but also in everyday practice.

Gender-based discrimination remains one of the most persistent barriers to children’s rights. Uğurlu (2022) highlights how girls continue to face unequal opportunities due to caregiving expectations, early marriage, and restricted access to education. Similarly, Das Gupta’s (1987) research in India revealed how cultural bias against girls leads to systematic neglect and higher child mortality rates. These examples illustrate how gender inequality is reinforced not just by economic conditions but by social norms and cultural values.

Ethnic and racial identity also play a significant role in shaping children’s experiences of discrimination. Brown and Chu (2012) found that children from immigrant backgrounds often lose motivation due to teachers’ low expectations and implicit biases. Adair (2015) described how using one’s native language is sometimes viewed as a sign of being “unprepared for school,” framing linguistic diversity as a disadvantage. Sanders-Phillips (2009) further demonstrated that racism affects not only children’s social well-being but also their biological health, linking chronic exposure to discrimination with long-term stress-related illness. These findings reveal that discrimination is not merely interpersonal but deeply embedded in social and institutional systems.

Children with disabilities face another form of discrimination, often masked as “protection.” As Njelesani (2019) powerfully stated, “A child who is hidden has no rights.” Excluding children with disabilities from public life, school, and play deprives them of their most basic rights. Similarly, children growing up amid war and conflict lose not only their access to education and health but also their very right to childhood. Deyab and Elshaikh (2022) show how Palestinian children “grow up among funerals instead of playgrounds,” illustrating how discrimination and violence converge to endanger life itself.

Discrimination is multidimensional; it exists not only between individuals but also within the relationships among states, families, and societies. Quennerstedt (2009) emphasizes the need to balance children’s autonomy with parental guidance, while Roose and Bouverne-De Bie (2007) argue that children’s rights should be understood as a space for democratic dialogue rather than a rigid set of rules. Rights, they remind us, do not end discussion; they invite it. Listening to children, engaging them in decision-making, and recognizing their agency are essential components of equality.

The principle of non-discrimination is thus not about sameness but about fairness, ensuring that every child’s needs, identity, and context are acknowledged and respected. No child’s language, gender, ability, or birthplace should limit their access to rights. Difference is not the opposite of equality; it is the foundation of justice. Schools and communities should be places where children can express themselves freely, learn from their mistakes, and feel that who they are is valued. Overcoming discrimination begins not only with legislation but also with everyday actions, in classrooms, playgrounds, and homes.

Even today, millions of children are deprived of education, safety, and health because of poverty, war, sexism, racism, disability, or migration. The principle of non-discrimination represents the collective conscience of humanity. Protecting children’s rights means not only preventing violations but preserving their existence, their voice, and their dreams. Every child is unique, yet all share the same sky. And every child’s right is a shared human responsibility.

Today, children’s lives, identities, and opportunities are still primarily determined by where they are born, the language they speak, and the bodies they inhabit. Yet no child should live under the shadow of their circumstances. Article 2 of the Convention reminds us of a simple truth:

Every child holds equal worth; differences are not a barrier, but the source of justice.

Equality begins not with treating every child the same, but with seeing every child fairly.

References

Adair, J. K. (2015). The impact of discrimination on the early schooling experiences of children from immigrant families. Migration Policy Institute, Washington, DC.

Brown, C. S., & Chu, H. (2012). Discrimination, ethnic identity, and academic outcomes of Mexican immigrant children: The importance of the school context. Child Development, 83(5), 1477–1485. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01788.x

Das Gupta, M. (1987). Selective discrimination against female children in rural Punjab, India. Population and Development Review, 13(1), 77–100. https://doi.org/10.2307/1972121

Deyab, M. S., & Elshaikh, E. A. (2022). Am I not a child? Palestinian child rights’ violations in Cathryn Clinton’s A stone in my hand (2002). Journal of Human Rights, 21(4), 451-462. https://doi.org/10.1080/14754835.2021.2011712

Karakoç-Demirkaya, S. (2021). Pandemi ve çocuğa yönelik ayrımcılık: Okul kapatma, bir çocuk hakkı ihlali. Klinik Psikiyatri Dergisi, 24(2), 133-134. https://doi.org/10.5505/kpd.2021.98105

Njelesani, J. (2019). A child who is hidden has no rights: Responses to violence against children with disabilities. Child Abuse & Neglect, 89, 58–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.12.024

Quennerstedt, A. (2009). Balancing the rights of the child and the rights of parents in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Journal of Human Rights, 8(2), 162–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/14754830902897270

Roose, R., & Bouverne-De Bie, M. (2007). Do children have rights or do their rights have to be realised?  The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as a Frame of Reference for Pedagogical Action. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 41(3), 431–443. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9752.2007.00568.x

Sanders-Phillips, K. (2009). Racial discrimination: A continuum of violence exposure for children of color. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 12(2), 174–195. https://doi.org/110.1007/s10567-009-0053-4

Uğurlu, Z. (2022). Toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı şiddetin çocuğa yansıması: Çocuk istismarı. Türkiye Sosyal Hizmet Araştırmaları Dergisi, 6(2), 160-174. https://doi.org/10.55109/tushad.1220677

Dr. Sezen ÇİÇEK APAYDIN

November 8, 2025