A rights council, usually composed of government and NGO representatives, would set public policy for promoting and protecting children's rights. The law has made some difference. Groups working with kids can today go to a government office and get an appointment. Eight years ago we would have waited all day and no one would have seen us. Gonzalez said the tutelary councils have helped make children's rights a topic of discussion throughout the community.
People now talk about the problem and get involved when they see something wrong.
If they know there's domestic violence going on next door, people are now more likely to report it. That's good, because violence in the home is more dangerous to the kids than violence in the streets. The police offer no solution to domestic violence. This is the challenge now for the tutelary councils. Although activists throughout the country reported different experiences with the ECA- mandated councils, most told me partisan politics get in the way of the councils functioning well.