Mission
Promote evidence-based advocacy for child rights in Ethiopia.
About ECRAN
An Ethiopian child-rights advocacy network built around evidence, coordination, and accountability.
ECRAN brings civil society actors, technical partners, and public stakeholders around a shared agenda for children's survival, development, protection, and participation.
Purpose
Connecting field realities with the advocacy decisions that shape children's lives.
Established in 2025, ECRAN strengthens visibility, communication, partnership engagement, and resource mobilization for child-rights work in Ethiopia. The network helps turn fragmented concern into coordinated, evidence-led advocacy.
01
Evidence
Grounding every position in field data and documented realities.
02
Coordination
Aligning CSOs, partners, and communities around a shared agenda.
03
Accountability
Holding duty-bearers to national and international child-rights commitments.
Vision
A country where all children enjoy survival, development, protection, and participation rights.
Legal Status
Registered as a local organization under Proclamation No. 1113/2019.
How We Work
Listen to communities, document evidence, convene partners, and advocate for policy and practice changes children can feel.
Strategic Plan
Five strategic pillars guide our work.
Each pillar sets direction for ECRAN's programmes, partnerships, and internal systems across the strategic period.
- Pillar 01
Advocacy, Policy Influence and Research
Generate evidence and use it to shape the laws, policies, and budgets that uphold children's rights in Ethiopia.
- Pillar 02
Membership, Capacity and Institutional Strengthening
Grow an active membership and strengthen the skills, systems, and structures of members and the network.
- Pillar 03
Resource Mobilization and Sustainability
Diversify funding and build the financial and operational base the network needs to sustain its work.
- Pillar 04
Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
Work alongside government, development partners, civil society, communities, and children themselves.
- Pillar 05
Governance, Accountability and Safeguarding
Uphold transparent leadership, accountability to members and partners, and safe practice for every child.
Our Cross-Cutting Commitment
Leaving No Child Behind
At ECRAN, we believe that child rights advocacy cannot exist in a vacuum. True child rights protection requires addressing the compounded vulnerabilities children face.
- 01Gender, Disability and Social Inclusion
- 02Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
- 03Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
- 04Digital Rights and Online Safety
- 05Child Safeguarding
- 06Migration, Displacement and Urban/Rural Equity
These are fully integrated as cross-cutting pillars across all our networks, thematic areas, and advocacy strategies.
Network Objectives
Ten commitments turned into four workstreams.
Each cluster organises the formal objectives into a working logic: network coordination, policy influence, capacity building, and evidence generation.
- Coordinate efforts by CSOs and Community-Based Organizations engaged in advocacy and promotion of the rights of children.
- Establish and strengthen partnerships and membership with other networks at national, regional, and international levels.
- Liaise with government departments, line ministries, and development partners on policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring of child-rights instruments.
- Contribute to CSO complementary reports on Ethiopia's commitments to UN and African child-rights mechanisms.
- Work with duty-bearers and stakeholders to monitor national, regional, and international frameworks concerning children's rights.
- Build member capacity in advocacy work, data organisation, child-rights promotion, and program development across Ethiopia.
- Organise dialogue platforms for members to deliberate on shared challenges faced by children and practical ways to address them.
- Organise training and advocacy programs for public, private, and not-for-profit leaders to become competent child-rights advocates.
- Undertake basic and action-oriented research, serve as a data clearing house, and produce physical and web-based reports for child-focused programs.
- Prepare evidence-based policy papers and briefs on children's rights for policy makers and practitioners.
Governance & Structure
Organizational Structure
ECRAN's governance model separates member-driven oversight from professional secretariat execution, ensuring transparency, accountability, and nationwide coordination.
Governance Level 1
General Assembly
Supreme Governing Body
Composed of 40+ accredited civil society Member Organizations across Ethiopia; approves network strategy, bylaws, and elects the Board.
Governance Level 2
Board of Directors
Strategic Governance & Policy Oversight
Elected representatives providing strategic oversight, policy direction, financial stewardship, and institutional accountability.
Independent
Internal Audit & Advisory
Independent Oversight
Advises the Board on compliance, safeguarding integrity, and statutory standards under Proclamation No. 1113/2019.
Executive Level
Executive Director & Secretariat
Operational Leadership & Coordination
Leads day-to-day coordination, manages network staff, represents ECRAN externally, and drives strategic execution.
Evidence & Influence
Programs & Policy Advocacy
Translates grassroots child-rights evidence into national policy dialogue, research briefs, and legislative advocacy.
- Evidence & Applied Research
- Child Protection Systems
- Child & Youth Participation
Coalition & Capacity
Network Coordination & Membership
Facilitates inter-agency coordination, member support, regional nodes, and technical capacity-building programs.
- Member Engagement
- Regional Coordination Nodes
- Advocacy Capacity Building
Standards & Ethics
Safeguarding & Quality Assurance
Guarantees child safeguarding protocols, ethical research compliance, and rigorous monitoring across all member engagements.
- Child Safeguarding Standards
- Accountability & Compliance
- Monitoring & Evaluation
Operations & Public Mandate
Finance, Admin & Communications
Manages grant compliance, institutional finances, human resources, media engagement, and public communications.
- Financial & Grants Management
- Operations & HR
- Media Relations & Press
Ready to advance child rights in Ethiopia?
Join the network, share evidence, or partner with ECRAN to build a stronger public mandate for every child.