Development of children's participation rights with a comparative method in terms of Türkiye and Sweden: Yesterday and today

Children's right to participation is becoming increasingly important as a global issue today. Both developed and developing countries are developing various legal and institutional arrangements to encourage children's involvement in social processes and to guarantee their rights. A comparative analysis between Turkey and Sweden reveals how children's right to participation is shaped within legal, social, and cultural frameworks, the obstacles encountered, and the extent to which their successes are sustainable. Sweden's strong practices regarding children's rights, particularly in local government and education, offer important lessons that could serve as examples for Turkey. This thesis aims to examine the participation rights of children in Turkey and Sweden, along with their social and legal backgrounds. Although various legal regulations have been put in place in Turkey regarding children's participation, socio-cultural obstacles, and shortcomings continue to be encountered in practice. On the other hand, Sweden's welfare system and child rights-focused approaches have created an environment that enables children to participate in decision-making processes. The differences between Turkey and Sweden provide an important comparison in terms of developing children's participation rights. This thesis discusses the steps that need to be taken to develop children's participation rights in Turkey by drawing attention to the shortcomings and presenting policy recommendations. Keywords: Children's rights, right to participation, Turkey, Sweden, socio-cultural impacts