Save the Children South Africa concerned about Eastern Cape MEC's statement

You’re not entitled to any rights, MEC tells pupils

Save the Children South Africa is alarmed by the alleged statements made by the Eastern Cape MEC for Education, to pupils at the provincial schools’ debate on the premier’s state of the province address. 

 “For you rights comes later in life when you are independent, finished studying and have your own place to stay and your own car.  That is when you can start talking about rights”

Save the Children South Africa works to protect the rights of all children, including their right to physical integrity and dignity, as upheld by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the South African Constitution.  The South African government, which the MEC represents, has signed and ratified both the UNCRC and the ACRWC, and therefore he should be promoting children’s rights instead of feeding children with misinformation. 

“I wish he could have been my child, I would have hit him on the head with a knobkerrie...”

South Africa’s laws provide for the protection of children.  Corporal punishment was banned in schools in 1996, and all aspects of public life such as a sentence by the court, in prisons and in child care institutions.  But, our children are still not safe in the home, often by the very people who should be protecting them.  It is authoritarian parental attitudes, as displayed by the MEC, that makes children unsafe.  Save the Children South Africa advocates for putting an end to all forms of corporal punishment of children in all settings, and promotes positive discipline.  Last year the Department of Social Development announced its support for the call to ban corporal punishment in the home. 

“Some of you were more eloquent and articulate standing here in the podium.  I know some things are too much advanced for you to know and say here.”

We are not surprised at the MEC’s disbelief that children in the Eastern Cape have the ability to be eloquent when they took to the podium, given the education crisis under his leadership, resulting in a massive shortage of educators.  Save the Children South Africa believes that the participation of children in matters that affect them, is paramount to a good educational system.  We therefore, commend those who organised the debate, for providing  children with the opportunity to express their views freely.  We also laud those who educate children to understand and articulate their rights.  Their ability to teach children to think and express themselves, despite a poor education system, cannot be overemphasized. 

We can only hope that a government committed to putting children first will address the issue swiftly and appropriately.

For interviews and further information, please contact: Karen Allan on 012 430 7772

Roundtable discussion with the media on Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Information

Save the Children acknowledges the role of the media to educate inform and entertain. The media forms an important part of implementing the information aspect of Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Information (CSE & I) because it draws the attention of society to the issue. The different platforms of the media penetrate all communities carrying contents such as sexuality. It is imperative for the media to be properly informed about this subject.

We believe that effective sexuality education can provide young people with age- appropriate, culturally relevant and scientifically accurate information. It includes structured opportunities for young people to explore their attitudes and values, and to practise the decision- making and other life skills they will need to be able to make informed choices about their sexual lives.

This issue of Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Information has already been misrepresented in the past and in the same breath we know it is a topic not often spoken about openly. Save the Children is interested in sharing with the media our views and ideas on the issue and has therefore planned this gathering. We are inviting you to participate in a Round Table discussion on Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Information on February 25, 2013 (9:00 am – 12:00 am) at the PROTEA HOTEL, PARKTONIAN ALL SUITE, 120 De Korte Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2001. The presentation and discussion will be followed by a short reception.

This is a first of many such discussions that will take place on related topics.

For more information on the issue contact Yumnah Hattas, Regional Project Manager, PAN African Comprehensive Sexuality Education Project at:

Yumnah.Hattas@saf.savethechildren.se

 
To RSVP for the Round Table on February 25, 2013, contact Tsedale Kelbessa at 012 3420222 or TsedaleK@saf.savethechildren.se

Save the Children supports the 2013 South African Sexual Offences Act ruling

Save the Children welcomes the ruling of Judge Pierre Rabie on the Sexual Offences Act, that sections of the Act which made consensual sex between teenagers a crime, were unconstitutional, as reported by the Mail and Guardian on January 18, 2013.

”We do not support the argument that sexual violence among children under the age of 16 years will be increased as a result of this ruling as reported in the Pretoria news on January 16, 2013. We know that sexual predators violate people’s rights whether legislation exist or not”, said Timothy Bainbridge, Save the Children Sweden’s Regional Director for Southern Africa.  “This is more reason to educate our children from a young age that sexuality is part of who they are and is their choice.  In this way children will be able to protect themselves from unwanted sexual advances, he concluded.

According to Peel Public Health (2007) from the ages of 9 to 12, developmentally children may take part in sexual exploration with peers and may have to face decisions about sex and drugs. In the absence of the correct information, these youths will seek information from other sources including their peers which is often incorrect thereby exposing them to risk.

In the words of Vivienne Mentor-Lalu, advocacy coordinator for Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, “If we want children to make sound decisions around sexuality, how can criminalising sexuality be the way? That, for us, is such an obvious point. We don’t see why people aren’t getting it,” lies sincere value for an immediate need for a Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Information programme for children as young as 5.

It is not strange to hear children request information on sex and sexuality. As society, we should be responding to these requests in a way that offers information to help these children make informed decisions rather than turn a blind eye or have measures in place that criminalise their need to develop.

Tell me More (2007) says that  sexuality is everything that goes into making you a human being including sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction.

Save the Children as a child rights organisation is currently engaging in a Pan African Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Information project that interact through partners with children at the earliest age possible to ensure that they are more aware and informed about their Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) to develop positive behaviours for adopting safer sex practices when they eventually become sexually active.

NO! It is not about teaching sex education to 5 year olds.  Rather it aims at providing children with the tools to make informed decisions when deciding to engage in sexual activities.

Save the Children sympathise with the shared concern around early sexual debut, the solution does not lie in any advocacy related campaign to repeal this judgement but must be more about sexuality education, behaviour change and access to health services and counselling.

For more information on SRHR you can contact Yumnah Hattas at the Save the Children Regional Office in Pretoria. Yumnah.Hattas@saf.savethechildren.se +27 12 342 0222

2ND SOUTHERN AFRICA REGIONAL CHILD RIGHTS CONFERENCE A SUCCESS

On 1 - 2 November Save the Children in partnership with the Child Rights Network for Southern Africa, the SADC Council of NGOs, the Pan African Parliament and Supertron hosted the second Southern Africa Conference on children's rights. The theme for this conference was: Building child rights movements in Southern Africa. 

Richard Young of the EU addressing the conference

The conference was attended by representatives from the Southern Africa region including those from civil society, academic institutions, governments, the African Union Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, other organisations in the continent that have similar interests and children from different countries. The speakers in the conference included Richard Young, Head of Operations at the EU Mission in South Africa, stressed the importance of partnerships in development. He said the the best way to take the interests of children forward is for governments and civil society to work together. He noted that there will always be a difference of opinion between the two, but this must be accepted and find ways of collaboration as the two play a bigger role when they work together. 

Other speakers include the Director of the SADC Council of NGOs, a representative of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, participants from other regions, experts on child participation and children sharing their experiences and presenting their views. The highlight of the conference was the launch of the Child Rights Network for Southern Africa whose mission is 'to provide a unified voice to advocate and campaign for better practice and policies that fulfill children's rights and to ensure that children's voices are heard by regional bodies. 

At the end of the conference participants discussed and debated on a number of child rights issues of concern, which should be made a priority by state parties in Southern African and the African Union. At the end they agreed on a conference statement which would be used by CRNSA to lobby the relevant states and bodies.      

Children monitoring the media in Cape Town

Children at Pelican Park Primary, Grassy Park in Cape Town are participating in the Media Monitoring project implemented by the organisation Media Monitoring Africa.  The project encourages child participation in the media. It also ensures media literacy and children's ability to analyse the media when it comes to their rights. The project also improves children's ability to read and write. 

Children interact with the media not only by reading papers, but also through newsroom visits to get a better understanding of how media works and to interact with journalists and editors. The other way is through giving written and verbal feedback to the monitored media - be it complaints or compliments.

Most of the children have been part of the project since 2011. Very few have dropped out in 2012 (due to busy school schedule and being involved in other projects at school). They are between the ages of 11 and 13 in grades 6 and 7.
 
The morning session of today’s programme introduced the children to why people write letters to the editor. The most common reasons are: 

• Commenting on something that is happening
• Complaining about something that was in the newspaper that was offensive, biased, not correct,
• Complimenting the newspaper about something good in the paper

 How to write a letter is also shared. What has to go into the letter, personal details and how to raise the issue and what to avoid in your letter. Children are allowed to write a letters on issues that came up in the papers they monitored. The best letter will win a prize which will be presented tomorrow.

The school is having a Readathon tomorrow, Wednesday 26 September where all grades will participate.  The theme for the event is: Going green...save our environment, save our planet.