As the curtain draws down on Children’s Month and with the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign in full swing, the child-rights organisation Molo Songololo says more should be done to promote children’s rights.
As the curtain draws down on Children’s Month and with the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign in full swing, the child-rights organisation Molo Songololo says more should be done to promote children’s rights.
This issue tops the agenda during November, with the 16 Days of Activism campaign starting on Saturday 25 November, and the organisation says the situation is “not looking good.”
Patric Solomons, director of Molo Songololo, said: “We need to make sure we put the rights and interests of children first. It is a constitutional obligation. We have come a long way to implement the rights of a child, but unfortunately, there are far too many children who still experience all kinds of hardship, and far too many of them do not enjoy basic rights.”
The Observatory-based organisation aims to promote the rights and protection of children.
“Children are often exposed to dangerous situations. They are subject to all kinds of violence and human rights violations; unfortunately, our government also fails in their duty to prevent violence against children.
“Many of our communities are places that threaten children’s protection daily”.
Solomons said too many children are exposed to bullying, interpersonal violence, public harassment, robberies and assault. “In the province, we’ve seen a high incidence of children being murdered. Teenagers possess guns as they are used by gang members to commit murder.”
He labelled the 16 Days of Activism an opportunity for the government to promote child safety. “We need to identify what is not going right and we have to fix it. There is a lot that can be fixed. It takes leadership, courage and everyone to make sure they fulfill their duty and obligation to put children first.”
Solomons said the high number of abuse cases against children is concerning. “In the province, we see so many reported cases of sexual violence against children, but unfortunately few of these are prosecuted. Large numbers of children do not enjoy the justice they deserve. They are exposed to bullying on social media, like revenge porn.”
According to Solomons, some children are neglected by their parents or guardians, which is happening not only nationally but also internationally.
He said while progress has been made a bigger effort is called for to promote the rights of children. “We are not doing too well to be able to say we can truly celebrate our accomplishment in terms of implementation and ensuring children can enjoy their rights. Public officials, teachers and politicians have an obligation to do so.”
Christina Nomdo, Western Cape Children’s Commissioner, said children’s rights are not limited to a single day and must be respected and acknowledged daily. “Children are not just adorable beings, but also vital members of society with their thoughts and ideas. Therefore they should be consulted and included in decisions that affect them.”
Children’s participation in governance and decisions that impact them is at the core of the Western Cape Commissioner for Children’s (WCCC) values.
The body provides a platform for children to influence policies, laws and practices governing their needs at local, national and international levels.
Nomdo explained that in its submission to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the children articulated and advocated for various issues they believe deserve special attention, and urged the government to prioritise them.
These issues include mental health, child hunger, violence, discrimination, children’s involvement in the government budget, the establishment of a national children’s commissioner and the lowering of the voting age. “The rights of children are interdependent and indivisible,” Nomdo declared. “Only when children have realised all their rights can they achieve their full potential.”
