Keeping Children safe in Africa

By Mr. T Nyanhete

Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare

Of Children

PVO 385/68

Keeping Children safe in Africa

IntroductionChildren constitute a significant proportion of the African population

estimated to be around 1, 033,000,000.These children are exposed everyday to all forms of abuses which include

but not limited to, being forced into early marriages (Child marriages, child labour, sexual abuse, child soldiering,) this all is at detriment of their education.

Further to that children in Africa are also vulnerable to natural disasters, e.g. Tokwe Mukosi, various cases of floods.

It is also to be noted that in Africa there is the highest number of children living on the streets

In addition to that is the issue of children and HIV/AIDS, Africa has a challenge with paediatric antiretroviral drugs.

Situation of Children in Africa

most African countries have ratified regional and international conventions that safeguard the welfare of its children

However, lack policies that compliment and enforce the same conventions that they purport to abide by

African countries lack clear polices that deal with Climate Change which is not only a reality but proving to have disastrous consequences for children in almost all spheres of their wellbeing

Climate Change has and continues to threaten the existence of children on

the continent and it is entirely up to us to protect our own.

What is climate change?

It is the change in the earth’s climate patterns especially

as experienced from the mid 20th century.

This change is largely due to increased levels of carbon

dioxide build up in the atmosphere resulting in a

disastrous green house effect.

This change is due to burning of fossil fuels for energy

production, industrial activities, and deforestation among other

activities

Climate Change (Cont’d)

Climate change has largely contributed to the burden of diseases which include but not limited to malaria, diarrhoea, typhoid and bilharzias. Hence children in Zimbabwe and Africa became susceptible to these diseases.

Climate change does not only affect children through spread of more communicable disease

but threatens food security as flash floods and droughts are becoming more and more severe of

note is the recent Tokwe Mukosi flash floods.

Governments and its citizens take environmental preservation initiatives very seriously such as

more environmentally friendly agricultural activities, power generation such as use of solar

energy instead power generation that emits carbon gases into the atmosphere. Healthy

environment for a healthy generation

Climate Change (CONT’D)

Child Safeguarding is at community level as an extension of Child

Protection hence the need to educate the public on climate changes to

adopt more environmentally friendly attitude towards everything they

do. The Zimbabwean government in its quest to address issues of climate

change set up the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) which monitors how organizations, institutions and farmers are impacting the environment. Areas od operation span from rural, urban and farming community emphasizing environmental preservation.

Climate change has been added into the schools curriculum, pupils and students are being educated on this very imported subject; however, the level of practical involvement is still very low

Children need to be safe

Children and climate change

There may seem to be no apparent link between protecting children and issues of climate change, however, the broad view should be adopted so as to ensure that the future generation does not look at our generation and ask why we allowed the environment to deteriorate without doing anything to stop and repair it.

Keeping children safe in Africa therefore only begins at the policy formulation level where children are involved in policy formulation and implementation.

There is need to take the initiative into communities and raise awareness on disaster management and child safeguarding

A Case For Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwean government created the Victim Friendly System for the protection of children.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police which is in charge

of this system continued the implementation of the

Child Friendly Police Stations initiative and to date,

there are Victim Friendly Units Police Officers

representing 100% of police stations and police posts

in all regions have been trained on child protection.This system diverts children in contact or conflict

with the law from the normal court system in a way that ensures their maximum protection.

Situation at Chingwizi

A Case For Zimbabwe (cont’d)

The Victim friendly Court System protects children in the following ways:

The child is provided with a support person during Courtproceedings.

Availability of closedcircuittelevision (CCTV) in all specialized Courts.

Use of an Intermediary a specialist interpreter to work with the child during the court proceedings.

Use of anatomically correct dolls for child survivors and witnesses.

Allowing judicial staff to behave less formally before and during trial. There is need to in cooperate climate change issues and disaster

management

Circumstances children are living under

Challenges faced by children

Abuse (physical/mental) Disability Trafficking Prostitution Child labour The girl child is prone to child

marriages

Challenges typical to African Children

The African child requires more protection as they are exposed to many other challenges in addition to the challenges mentioned earlier.

Traditional African views which often conflict with children's rights

Children born out of wedlock Armed conflict Children as beggars Inability to return to school after pregnancy Access to clean water, food, shelter and health facilities

Causes of Child Marriages Poverty Social Exclusion/Pressures Cultural and Traditional Beliefs Illiteracy Gender Inequality Importance placed on female virginity School dropouts

Detrimental effects of these Child Marriages

Health complications - early sexual activity and childbearing, STI/D, HIV)

High Maternal and Child Mortality Illiteracy Poverty - intergenerational cycle of poverty: deterrent to

development Domestic Violence Sexual Abuse Social Isolation Compromised Women’s Rights

Child Marriages have not gone unnoticed

There has been a range of responses by the legal framework, both at the national and international level, to eradicate the harmful practice of child marriage on the basis of human rights.

There is also a move towards civil societies crafting Child Protection Policies to preserve children's rights and welfare

Constitution of Zimbabwe Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Convention on the Elimination all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC)

Zimbabwe’s Child Protection Systems

Zimbabwe is renowned for having exemplary social protection systems in Africa. However there is need to bring coherence between the systems level and the operations level. Hence the need to Harmonize the instruments.

The recently promulgated new Constitution of Zimbabwe - 2013 Social Welfare Assistance Act - 2001 Children’s Act - 2005 Guardianship of Minors Act - 2002 Deceased Persons Family Maintenance Act – 2001 Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act – 2004 Public Service Act - 2006

Zimbabwe’s Child Protection Systems. (CONT’D)

Birth and Death Registration Act- 2001 Education Act - 2001 Domestic Violence Act - 2006 Children’s Protection and Adoption Act – 1995 Labour Act - 2002 Trafficking Act (recently presented to cabinet)

Maintenance Act - 2005 Children’s Act - 2002 Sexual Offences Act – 2001 Child Abduction Act - 1995

Zimbabwe’s Child Protection Systems. (CONT’D)

Customary Marriages Act (Traditional marriage) - 1983 Marriage Act (Civil marriage) - 1983 The National Action Plan for OVC

Phase I - 2004 Phase II - 2010

National Orphan Care Policy - 1999 The National Orphan Care Policy - 1999 Child Protection Committees - 1999 The Victim Friendly System

ZNCWC Child Protection Policy

• ZNCWC as the umbrella body in the Child Rights Sector, is committed to a ZERO tolerance approach to all forms of child abuse, thus ZNCWC bears a Child Protection Policy with an overall GOAL: To protect children from all forms of abuse in Zimbabwe.

Guiding Principles• Zero tolerance of child abuse

• Recognition of the best interests of the child

• Sharing responsibility for child protection

• Use of a risk management approach

ZNCWC Child Protection Policy (cont’d)

Values, principles and beliefs All child abuse involves the abuse of children’s rights. All children have equal rights to protection from abuse and exploitation. The situation of all children must be improved through promotion of their

rights as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This includes the right to freedom from abuse and exploitation. Article (19)

Child abuse is never acceptable We have a commitment to protecting children When we work through partners, they have are responsibility to meet

minimum standards of Child Protection Policy for children in their programmes

ZNCWC Child Protection Policy (cont’d)

What we will do

• We will meet our commitment to protect children from abuse through the following means:

1. Awareness: we will ensure that all staff and others are aware of the problem of child abuse and the risks to children.

2. Prevention: we will ensure, through awareness and good practice, that staff and others never abuse children.

Guiding PrinciplesZero tolerance of child abuse:

Child abuse is not tolerated by ZNCWC nor is possession of or access to child pornography. ZNCWC actively manages risks of child abuse associated with persons directly and indirectly working with children

ZNCWC will not knowingly engage, directly or indirectly, anyone who poses an unacceptable risk to children, nor recommend any individual or organization that does not meet ZNCWC child protection compliance standards in their operations and activities.

Guiding Principles (c0nt’d)Recognition of the best interests of children

Zimbabwe is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and ZNCWC is committed to upholding the rights and obligations of the convention ZNCWC recognizes that some children, such as Children with disabilities and children living in areas impacted by disasters (natural or conflict based), are particularly vulnerable.

Sharing responsibility for child protection:

To effectively manage risks to children ZNCWC requires the active support and cooperation of contractors, NGOs and child welfare organisations. Contractors and NGOs must meet the terms of the child protection policy and will be held accountable, through contracts and audits, for complying with it. ZNCWC also encourages awareness of child protection issues among international and whole-of-government partners

Guiding Principles (c0nt’d)

Risk management approach

While it is not possible to eliminate all risk of child abuse, careful management can reduce the incidence of child abuse associated with aid activities. This policy introduces risk assessments and treatments for a range of recognized risks to children.

• CODE OF CONDUCTtreat children with respect regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status

Recommendations

Children should be consulted during the policy formulation process so as to avoid prescribing policies that

are not child friendly.

The effects of Climate change should be factored in Health policies such as the spread of more

communicable disease.

African governments should put more effort into initiatives that address climate so as to create a clean, safe

child friendly environment. Harmonization of marriage laws to make same age of consent for marriage for boys and girls (at 18

years)

Appointment, as marriage officers, of Headman, Chiefs, and District Administrators as provided for by the Customary Marriages Act to avoid the prevalence of child marriages (Chapter 5:07)

The state should incorporate sex education into the school curricula and embark on a country wide campaign to educate girls on sex education including family planning in order to reduce the prevalence of pregnancies among girls of school going age.

Civil society organizations working with children should have Child Protection Policies

Conclusion

Children are the future of Africa and safeguarding their welfare should be a priority for Africa as a whole

children are subjected to the harmful effects of climate change and there is need to mitigate these effects for the benefit of our children.

Policies should be more child-friendly and this can only be achieved if the full participation of children is factored into the policy formulation process.