Agreement to Promote Public Participation of Children and Adolescents in Mijas

Mijas has joined the network of municipalities for children and adolescents, promoted by the Andalusian government, which already includes nineteen municipalities from the province. This network, through the Andalusian Law on Childhood and Adolescence, aims to "promote and coordinate the participation of children and adolescents."

Specifically, the purpose of this initiative is "to focus on our children and adolescents, giving them a leading role in the design of public policies that directly affect them and to enhance the protection of children." This was explained by the regional delegate for Social Inclusion, Youth, Families, and Equality, Ruth Sarabia, and the mayor of Mijas, Ana Carmen Mata, who signed an institutional agreement in this regard.

In this context, Sarabia pointed out some of the situations that currently have a negative impact on children and adolescents, including "bullying, the introduction to sexuality through pornography, or the increase in attempts at self-harm, which are compounded by the misuse of social networks and new technologies." "These are issues that concern families, administrations, and that our youth must bring to the table, to thus gauge the reality they live in, through their participation via the child advisors who represent the different municipalities of our province at annual meetings," she explained.

For her part, the mayor of Mijas considered that this agreement adds to the commitment already shown by this municipality for children and adolescents, with initiatives that have occurred for the first time in this locality, such as the establishment of a children's plenary.