CALL FOR PAPERS

2024-10-11

The Journal welcomes diverse and inter-disciplinary perspectives on children’s rights issues.   

Sub-themes:

The second issue of the Journal will focus on the following broad thematic areas:  

  • Children and human rights: Examination of the role of human rights law and institutions in protecting and promoting children's rights. Additionally, the analysis of new questions in children rights that were not contemplated by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Africa’s Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child such as artificial intelligence/ digital technologies, biomedical issues, and climate change. We invite papers exploring these new questions considering the CRC and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Additionally, analysis of how the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child enjoys near universal ratification, and similarly the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. However, implementation of children rights depends on the extent to which children are viewed as independent and autonomous rights holders. 
  1. Children and Migration: Vulnerability of migrant and refugee children: Discussion of various international instruments, including the UN and African Children Rights Convention which stress the importance of family unity, family reunification and observance of the non-refoulement principle. Moreover, in-depth studies on the legal arrangements aimed at assisting migrant children (including those internally displaced) and refugee children and their implementation, in particular in various local contexts within Africa.



    1. Children and armed conflict. Armed conflicts are a cause of unspeakable suffering for children and particularly severe forms of child abuse, such as displacement, hunger, disruption of families, depravation of education or recruitment of child soldiers. Further, the emerging trend of deliberately targeting, capturing, and recruiting children for terrorist activities, both in the physical world and the digital space. We invite contributions that analyse the prevention of child abuse and mitigation of children’s suffering during armed conflict and the respective legal regulations.
  • Children and education: The right that every child has access to a suitable education. We invite papers on examination of legal and policy issues related to access to education, quality of education, and inclusive education for children.
  1. Children and health: Examination of the children’s right to health in line with Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We invite papers on the legal and policy issues related to children's access to healthcare, including issues related to mental health, reproductive health, protection against sexual abuse and childhood illness.
  2. Child Labour and Children’s Rights: Child labour persists even years after the adoption of a comprehensive normative international framework i.e., the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We invite papers on the legal and policy issues related to child labour, including forced labour, child trafficking, and hazardous work.
  3. Children and the media: Analysis of the children’s privacy in the age of social media. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) outlines that no child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation. Further, UNICEF has developed principles and guidelines to help journalists report on children’s issues in a way that enables them to serve the public interest without compromising the rights of children. We invite papers on legal and policy issues related to children's rights and the media, including issues related to privacy, freedom of expression, and protection from harmful content.
  4. Children and the State: Analysis of the state’s role in rendering appropriate assistance to parents, legal guardians, and extended families in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities. States hold several essential means to take up this role, including legal authority, financial resources, human resources and infrastructure. We invite papers on the role of the State in protecting and promoting children's rights, including issues related to child welfare and child protection.
  5. Children and families: The family plays a unique and vital role in the lives of children. According to the UN Convention and national laws, the family is the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of children. We invite papers analysing legal and policy issues related to family law, including adoption, custody, and child support. 
  6. Maternity and Paternity Leave: The analysis of the legal framework and case law on maternity and paternity leave, as well as any other legal arrangements that facilitate balancing the work commitments with family life and parental care. 

 

Selection Criteria

The papers will be selected on a competitive basis. The application and selection criteria will be based on the following:

  1. Quality of the papers c) Relevance of the article to Journal theme
  2. Geographic diversity of authors d) Balance between senior and junior authors

 

Submission Guidelines

Editorial Board of the KUJCR requests that you prepare your paper in the following format:

  • All submissions are required to be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief.
  • Abstracts should not exceed 300 words.
  • The length of the paper, including tables, diagrams, illustrations, references, footnotes, etc., should not be less than 3,000 words and should not exceed 10,000 words.
  • Name of author(s) including contact details, institutional affiliations, academic qualifications and topic of the paper should be in a covering letter. The paper should not capture such details anywhere.
  • The paper should be in Times New Roman, font size 12, 1.5 spacing. Footnotes should be in Times New Roman, font size 10, with single line spacing.
  • The citation must conform to OSCOLA, 4th Edition, 2012.
  • All pages shall be numbered.
  • Uniform date format should be used (e.g., 15th September 2024).
  • The submission of the paper must be in “Word document” (.doc) or (.docx).
  • The submission should contain a disclaimer to the effect that the piece is original and has not been published or is under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  • All submissions will be subjected to a plagiarism check.
  • Submissions should be sent to: ded-law@ku.ac.ke and copy to ratemo.tom@ku.ac.ke



Copyright Policy

The paper should not include libelous or defamatory content. Material presented in paper should observe copyright laws. If figures/graphics/images have been taken from sources not copyrighted by the author, it is the author’s sole responsibility to secure the rights from the copyright holder in writing to reproduce those figures/graphics/images for both worldwide print and web publication. All reproduction costs charged by the copyright holder will be borne by the author.

 

Key Information

  1. Paper submission deadline - 30th November 2024.
  2. Result of paper review returned to authors - 31st December 2024.
  3. Final paper submission - 31st January 2025.

 

Kenyatta University Journal of Children’s Rights is an online open access publication. In addition, a limited number of paper copies will be printed and offered for purchase.

We look forward to receiving your submissions and publishing in the second issue of Kenyatta University Journal of Children’s Rights.