SADC Regional Child Rights Reference Group meeting

The Regional Child Rights Reference Group (CRRG) is having its planning meeting in Pretoria on 31 May and 1 June 2012. Participants for the meeting are drawn from Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar and Lesotho. The objectives of the meeting are:

1. To develop the CRRG governance structure and mode of operations.
2. Develop advocacy and implementation plan for year 1. i.e. roll out of SADC minimum package of basic services for children
3. To discuss how to take forward the resolutions made in November 2011 during the Child Rights Conference.

The first day of the meeting is looking at the role of the CRRG. It is also to understand what is happening at country level. The discussions are very engaging and participation is high. In order for the network to function properly a number of questions were raised. These also helped in understanding the scope of its work. Some of the issues discussed and raiuse include: What networks exist, what is their status, the differences across countries and what is the understanding of ‘making a change in the children’s lives’? What is contained in the policy, budgets and operations of countries in relation to children? Who is involved in the process? Are the available resources accessible to those who implement programmes on the ground? What do we understand about minimum package?

The issue of child participation was discussed at length. The concern was: How do we ensure meaningful participation of children. Questions were asked: What is child participation? Does having children in a meeting constitute participation? How do we ensure that children are involved at local level? How do we solicit children’s views, voices and opinions? Is it easier to have children participate at national level so that their input is considered at regional level? Do we need parallel sessions for children?

The following resolutions were agreed to after amendments made during the plenary discussion of the 2011 conference:

   

1. Recognising that children’s rights will be realised by the active participation and contributions of all stakeholders, the conference resolves that civil society will collaborate and continuously engage with children and government and other regional & continental bodies, including but not limited to, SADC Secretariat, SADC Parliamentary Forum, African Union, the United Nations and the private sector.
2. Further noting the imperative of child participation in matters that affect them, the conference resolves to involve children in the regional child rights reference group, support their own initiatives and ensure that their views and voices are heard and considered.
3. The conference resolves to call upon governments in the region to do everything within their means and powers to support the realisation of child rights, particularly promoting the full implementation of the SADC Minimum Package of Basic Services for Children, African Charter on the Rights & Welfare of the Child and the UNCRC and its protocols.
4. Mindful of the need to monitor progress towards the realisation of children’s rights, the conference resolves that civil society and governments should work together in ensuring that country progress and monitoring reports are submitted to regional and international treaty bodies and recommendations are acted upon.
5. In order to implement conference outcomes and promote the co-ordination of children’s activities in the Southern African region, the conference established an interim civil society regional child rights reference group whose interim secretariat shall be Save the Children working with the SADC Council of NGOs.
6. The conference resolves that delegates will return home and consult with relevant stakeholders working with children in order to identify a representative to serve on the civil society Child Rights Reference Group and to ensure the involvement of these stakeholders in meaningful activity to advance child rights.
7. The conference acknowledges that in order to fulfill due process, focal people have been nominated from each country in order to take forward the process of establishing a regional child rights reference group.

Save the Children South Africa supports Government’s call to work together to protect children by investing in them

On Sunday the 27^th of May, President Jacob Zuma launched Child Protection Week in Galeshewe Kimberley and called on Government, Civil Society and Business to work together to protect children. Twelve million children out of a child population of 18 million are living in poverty in South Africa. This together with the high prevalence of HIV and AIDS, alarming incidences of violence against children and enduring levels of inequity make too many South African children vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation. “This is unacceptable” says Neven Hendricks, Chairperson of the Board of Save the Children South Africa. “Every child in South Africa has the right to develop to their full potential and must be protected against all forms of abuse, hunger and illness. Save the Children welcomes the call to work together with Government and other partners to protect children. I also urge us all not only to commit to the protection of our children but also to invest them. They are after all our greatest resource.” Social protection for children can be achieved by making sure all vulnerable children receive social security and can access social services to make sure children are free from hunger and violence. Investing in children takes this further by linking social security to adequate nutrition and healthcare and helping children to access a quality education.

The Child Support Grant is the most comprehensive poverty alleviation programme that has been embarked on in recent years by the State in South Africa. Research has demonstrated the positive link between grant access and the well being of the child as measured by improved nutrition, school attendance and access to health. Save the Children congratulates the Government of South Africa for reaching 10.3 million vulnerable children with the Child Support Grant. However two million or 17% of eligible children are not reached this is largely due to a lack of documentation such as birth certificates for children and identity documents for caregivers The Child Support Grant is the foundation to social security but must be part of a comprehensive package that will be able to protect poor children and their families together with social service interventions, particularly focusing on the restoration of the family and access to quality health and education. Additionally, the issue of violence against children must be addressed. Violence against children in schools and communities poses a real threat to their development and denies children the protection they deserve and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. This is unacceptable.

During this Child Protection week Save the Children in South Africa takes this opportunity to reassure the Government of its commitment to support them in their continuing efforts to fulfill the rights of all children in this country.

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For more information please contact:

Karen Allan, Advocacy and Communications Advisor, Save the Children UK

Call: +27 (0)12 430 7775

Email: kallan@savethechildren.org.za

SOUTH AFRICA DROPS IN WORLD RANKING AS BEST PLACE TO BE A MOTHER

ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM SAVE THE CHILDREN

JOHANNESBURG Save the Children’s thirteenth State of the World’s Mothers report states that South Africa has slipped quite dramatically from a ranking of 19 in 2011 to a ranking of 33 in 2012, on a listing of about 80 less developed countries around the world[i] – showing that South Africa is no longer such a good place to become a mother. The ranking looks at factors such as mother’s health, education and economic status, as well as critical child indicators such as health and nutrition. The report also shows that Niger is the worst place to be a mother in the world, replacing Afghanistan for the first time in two years. Norway comes in at first place.

The slip in rankings for South Africa is largely due to its slipping performance relative to other countries on a number of indicators[ii]:  

The Good News

• Women hold 41 percent of parliamentary seats- the 5th highest share in the world
•  60 % of women are using a modern method of contraception.
•  90% of births are attended by skilled health personnel.
• South Africa does a good job of getting children into primary and secondary school, with gross enrollment ratios of 102 and 94, respectively.
• Girls can expect to receive 12 years of formal education.

The Bad News

• A girl can expect to live, on average, only to 54 years old – that’s the 5th lowest female life expectancy amongst the less developed countries. In fact, this is on par with or worse than many of the least developed countries in the world.
• Tragically, 1 woman in 100 will die from a pregnancy-related cause.
• At 57 under-5 deaths per 1,000 live births, 1 child in 18 will not live to see his/her fifth birthday
• Nearly 1 child in 10 (9%) is underweight for age.
• Nearly 10% (9%) of the population lacks access to safe drinking water
• Women earn only 60 cents for every dollar earned by men

The slip in ranking calls for a host of measures to improve the range of indicators listed under ‘the bad news ’ including better quality of obstetric care, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and treatment of women with HIV, newborn care and exclusive breastfeeding, and combating under-nutrition and anemia for mothers.

New research for the State of the World’s Mothers Report, Save the Children found that the simple measure of supporting mums to breastfeed could save up to one million children's lives a year, globally. Only 8% of South African mums breastfeed – this is amongst the lowest rates in the world, and almost the same as Somalia at 9%. Dr. Joy Lawn of Save the Children says, ‘If the government and non-state actors had to together push a single strategy that would rapidly improve South Africa’s child mortality, we would recommend ensuring that, along with PMTCT strategies, babies are breastfed exclusively up to 6 months of age.’ Save the Children also advocates that breastfeeding counseling skills are a core part of health workers’ roles, especially at the community level. Several African countries have recently increased the percentage of babies exclusively breastfeeding to 6 months – for example in Ghana this is now at 63%, eight times higher than in South Africa.

Save the Children is working in South Africa to ensure that infants are exclusively breastfed, even when the mother is infected with HIV. “South Africa now has a great government policy on the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV that promotes breastfeeding,” says Dr. Joy Lawn of Save the Children, but infected mothers continue to believe that they should not breastfeed for fear that they will pass on the infection to their babies. “With the right treatment of antiretroviral (ARVs) breastfeeding is safe – and recommended because it protects the baby from a host of other infections, especially in areas where due to a lack of access to sanitation and clean water, for instance, the risk of diarrhea and other diseases is high.” Children not properly breastfed are also at risk of being short for their age (stunting), which is about 18-24% in South Africa despite relatively high income levels.

South Africa has the potential and the opportunity to do better for our mothers and children. On this mothers’ day, we need focus on going in the right direction, not slipping further.

Individuals wanting to join EVERY ONE, Save the Children’s Newborn and Child Survival campaign, can visit www.savethechildren.net and sign our petition to help world leaders commit to saving children's lives. This website will also host the charity’s live interactive video conference discussing Motherhood on the 8^th of May with high-profile Global Mothers.

For more information, a full copy of the State of the World’s Mothers’ report and interviews, please contact Ms. Lesego Mongale from INZALO COMMUNICATIONS on Tel: +27 11 646 9992; Fax: +27 11 646 9938; Cell: +27 73 266 6025.

ENDS

Notes to the Editors

·         One in 4 (24%) children under age 5 are stunted which is a high enough percentage to be a public health concern. Thus, South Africa is home to over 1 million stunted children, i.e. an estimated 1.2 million. This is related to both HIV/AIDS and to undernutrition and both need to be tackled urgently. 

·         South Africa is identified as a country which is underperforming relative to their national wealth[iii].  Although the country’s stunting rate is lower than that found in some other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including its regional neighbours[iv], it is much higher than that found in countries with a similar level of national wealth i.e. relative to its income peers like Bulgaria & Montenegro, both under 10%, and Romania, 13%[v].

·         The poorest South African children tend to have the poorest dietary quality, and the wealthiest children are almost three times as likely to consume meat, milk and other high quality foods, as the poorest children.

·         Although 61% of South African infants are put to the breast within one hour of birth ( i.e."good" coverage, according to WHO performance thresholds), only 8% of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months, less than half (49%) of all infants are introduced to complementary foods on time and less than 1 in 3 (31%) infants are still receiving any breast milk at 2 years of age. This is similar to Somalia (9%). The only African countries with lower rates are Chad, Cote D’Ivoire and Gabon.

·         South Africa’s high infant, child and maternal mortality is to AIDS, in addition to birth complications and newborn conditions, as well as malnutrition, etc. In fact, there are 5.2 million people living with AIDS – which is 10% of the population.

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[i] The State of the World’s Mothers report compares three tiers of countries: Tier 1 are 43 more developed countries, Tier 2 are 81 less developed countries, of which South Africa is a part, and Tier 3 are forty least developed countries. [i]  We acknowledge that eachcountry has different development contexts.

[ii] Country performance on indicators for 2011 and 2012 are available on request, for comparison.

[iii] See page 20 of the State of the World’s Mothers Report 2012.

[iv]  E.g. 58% in Burundi, 39% Lesotho, 32% in Zimbabwe, 31% Botswana, 30% Namibia.

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