While the World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on 15th March, in India specifically it is also celebrated on 24th December as National Consumer Rights Day.
Why do we think you need to know about Consumer Rights?
Look at all the advertisements on television and print these days. You will notice that companies and brands are directly or indirectly targeting children to influence the purchase or sales of the products. Ethically speaking, children are too young to understand the choices they make. Apart from the financial part of pricing, the role of the wellness or nutritional impact of consumables and hidden or fine print aspects need to be taken into consideration which most of the kids are totally unaware about.
So it is good to have our kids know about themselves as consumers. For that they need to have a basic understanding of Consumer rights day and its importance.
Objective
World Consumer Rights Day is an annual international event that signifies celebration and solidarity in the international consumer movement, demanding that consumer rights are to be respected and protected. The event also gives a chance to protest against the market abuses and social injustices which undermine those rights.
Theme for 2023
Each year, World Consumer Rights Day adopts a theme to highlight. This year the theme promoted is “Empowering consumers through clean energy transitions.”.
Coming together for change in energy transitions, we will both support consumers through the cost-of-living crisis and help to meet net zero targets by promoting access to sustainable energy globally.
Most economies are facing a deepening energy crisis globally which is having an especially untold impact on vulnerable consumers. Global energy prices are set to rise by 50% by the end of 2022 and will stay high in 2023. Together with food and finance price increases, consumers everywhere are radically changing their lifestyles to access essential needs. Indeed, in our global insights survey with Members, 81% reported that consumers are adjusting their budgets so they can pay their energy bills.
Today’s challenge is to help consumers through present difficulties whilst enabling a rapid transition that guarantees sustainability, security, and affordability in the long term. Increasing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy will also play a major part in averting catastrophic climate change, with consumption shifts now recognised and estimated to reduce future greenhouse gas emissions by 40-70%.
(Source : Consumer International)
Now that you know what consumer rights are and why it is important, we go a step ahead and help parents with something to plan for their kids.
- Making lists – Tell your kids (once they learn to write) to make a list of things they need in a month. This can help them start differentiating between wants and needs. It gives the parents the opportunity to help them separate and distinguish between both the concepts.
- Grocery Shopping – If you think that kids will throw tantrums during grocery shopping, the first step of making lists comes in handy. Ensure that you tell them that certain ground rules have to be followed and from the list what is possible and can be purchased, will be only purchased (unless they forgot something in the list and it is a school stationary emergency)
- Home addition shopping – While grocery shopping that is weekly or monthly is a good way for kids to be oriented about prices, quantity, nutrition values, comparative analysis of products, the same can be carried forward for little older kids (12 years onwards) for any home improvement items or decor items.
Summing all these three activities from the very young to young adults stage helps children be aware, develop skills and give them an understanding of how they must make decisions as consumers when they are adults.
Also Read :- Mahashivratri Stories for Kids