What If a Singe Human Right Could Change the World?
A single human right can carry weighty concerns that can bring change to the world. Kristen Wenz talks on the importance of the right of recognition as a human before the law. She points out the harm caused by ignorance of the legal identity of citizens. She explains how the birth certificate is crucial in various aspects and explains why the system needs to change to ensure every person is registered at birth.
Kristen points out that over one billion individuals’ records never exist in government records. This is a result of the failure to register children at birth time. Since children are not registered, it shows they are not in government services plans. This results in children not able to access government services such as routine immunizations, which are crucial to any child. Most of those not recognized by the government are from poor or marginalized communities. Those who are not registered are victims of human trafficking since human traffickers understand well that it is hard to trace a person without his/her records. Child labor and early marriages since without a birth certificate, no one will tell whether you are a child or an adult.
The study conducted in Africa sub-Saharan shows in over 17 countries, 80% of children had no birth certificates. In 26 states, birth certificates were required to access healthcare. In 37 countries, birth certificates were required to transform people from poverty. In 59 countries, birth certificates were a requirement in education. This was a clear indication that a birth certificate is essential in development plans. In planning to protect human being and their right, the first step should be to ensure each person is registered and has a varied birth certificate. Registration of children at birth can be polished if the current system is changed and adopt a system that has a simple process, cost-free, and does not discriminate. Services should be brought to where people stay to ensure easy accessibility.
Every person should have a birth certificate that shows his/her nationality and parents. This will ensure that the government legally identifies every citizen and plans for services for them. This will ensure that every individual right is protected by the law, without discrimination.