Since the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, the emphasis on giving children an opportunity to express their opinions on matters of their concern has gained momentum across the world. In India, several civil society organisations are working for the active engagement of children in urban and rural governance. One such organisation, The Concerned for Working Children (CWC) in Karnataka, is effectively leveraging the decentralised democratic set up of the country by creating spaces for children within the Panchayati Raj Institutions. The organisations has thus far created several Makkala Panchayat (Children’s Councils), in rural Karnataka that act as a forum of and for children.

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