“Participation is not just about activism”: views of Mozambican children and adolescents

Abstract

Children and adolescents participation has generally been understood as involvement in decision-making processes and action in public contexts. Drawing on visual and participatory research in three Mozambican contexts, this paper presents the opportunities and barriers to participation that children and adolescents face in their everyday life, at individual level, in peer relationships and in their families. Results show that, despite the challenges faced, individual expression, friendships, and family represent significant spaces for exercising their agency and participating as “taking part in” and feeling included.