Former child soldiers and young people from around the world presented thousands of symbolic “red hands” to UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-Moon on Thursday 12 February to demand stronger action by international leaders to end the use of child soldiers. Child soldiers are being used in 15 countries or territories, despite some of these countries ratifying the UN treaty prohibiting the forced recruitment or use of children under the age of 18 in armed conflict.

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict has been ratified by 126 countries and entered into force on 12 February 2002. Young activists from 101 countries collected more than 250,000 red handprints on paper and banners and inscribed personal messages calling for an end to the use of child soldiers. The campaigners’ demands include:

• Stronger UN action against governments and armed groups using child soldiers, including Security Council arms embargoes and other sanctions against persistent violators;
• Prosecution of military leaders who recruit or use child soldiers;
• Universal ratification and enforcement of the optional protocol; and
• Increased support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of former child soldiers.

Sarah Masters, IANSA Women’s Network Coordinator said: “Although the majority of children in armed conflict are boys, the recruitment of girls, whether willingly, through coercion, economic pressure, or because they have been abducted is rife in many countries. Many girl soldiers also endure the trauma of sexual violence and unwanted pregnancies. The plight of girl soldiers remains largely ignored, with many girls reporting they were neglected in DDR operations, even a decade after Graca Machel’s ground-breaking report on child soldiers."

Annie Matundu-Mbambi from Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in DRC said: “Tragically, becoming a soldier is often seen a source of status for girls, compared with the prevailing exclusion of women. These girls then go on to commit the same atrocities as boys. But girl soldiers are often raped, and the stigma attached to former girl combatants is far greater than that experienced by boys.”

Somali Women Education Campaigners said that child soldiering is widely practiced Somalia by government forces and non-state actors.  Sadia Arab Mohamed said: “Although the majority of the militias are young boys, girls are recruited to reinforce the insurgents and serve indirectly through cooking and providing medical support for troops.” SWEC warned that  “the long term effect on Somalia will be devastating, as a whole generation has lost its education to war and have no idea what they are fighting for.”

Two former combatants from the Liberian war, Jackie Redd and Florence Ballah visited the IANSA secretariat late last year, calling for DDR administrators to work more with women and to stop male leaders excluding women from the DDR process. They said that many young women were abducted to fight with the armed groups alongside their children or became mothers while serving as soldiers.  

Fred Lubang from NonViolence International in Thailand said that children are likely to be involved or associated with armed conflict in the south of Thailand and on the Burmese border with the west. Fred said: “Thailand acceded to the Optional Protocol two years ago, but there is still inadequate protection for children in areas in conflict.”

PhilANSA said the UN has listed the National Peoples' Army, Abu Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front among armed groups that recruit and use children. Jasmin Galace said: “There have been least 36 cases of child soldiers reported by Protect Children in Armed Conflict since 2005. Ten of these were girls, of whom three were killed in 2006."