Wednesday, 15 June 2011

June 16, a day to remember

On the eve of the Day of the African Child, Save the Children acknowledges the significant role children played in bringing about change in South Africa.  “As we observe June 16, we also need to note that there are still major problems facing children and until these are addressed, children will never really benefit from the changes brought by 1976 sacrifice”…. Violence against children 35 years ago was seen as a turning point in the history of this country and yet today children are still experiencing violence, poor education, discrimination and poverty among other things.

Save the Children (SC) and its partners are addressing some of the challenges and are finding ways to make the country a safer place for children to live. Alone they cannot succeed but are urging all South Africans to play a part in ensuring that children are protected from harm.

SC’s child protection work aims to prevent, respond and resolve the abuse, neglect and exploitation and violence experienced in all settings and to strengthen the capacity of a variety of actors to protect children and develop systems and mechanisms that provide meaningful protection for all children in the longer term.

Save the Children’s vision is that of a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. The organisation’s mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting improvements to their lives. As a key player in this sector, Save the Children works with a number of partners who share the same sentiments.  

Cape Town based RAPCAN (Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) views prevention as the most significant strategy for effective child protection. The Children’s Act 38 of 2005 supports legal expression of a prevention model towards child protection.  The challenge over the next few years is to ensure that the government departments working with children, transform a largely protectionist approach towards a prevention model.
                                                                                                                           
UCARC (Umthatha Child Abuse Resource Centre) argues that all children have a right to be protected and cared for, working together is the only way to achieve this including: parents, caregivers, all community members, community leaders (traditional, political and religious), and all local, district, provincial and national government officials, only then will children develop into healthy adults who will contribute positively to society.

The Centre for Child Law at the University of Pretoria protects South African children by holding duty bearers to account, ensuring that they deliver on their promises to children that have been set out in law and policy. Children’s rights to safety, care, respect and dignity must be matched by fulfilment of their socio-economic rights.

The UN Report on the Study of violence against children (August 2006) states that “No violence against children is justifiable; all violence against children is preventable”. The same in-depth study confirms that such violence exists in every country of the world, cutting across culture, class, education, income and ethnic origin. In every region, in contradiction to human rights obligations and children’s developmental needs, violence against children is socially approved, and is frequently legal and State-authorized.

Save the Children is encouraging all South Africans to respect the rights of children and to ensure that their views and aspirations are heard and respected.