Reuters AlertNet Lite - African child rights organisations urge governments in Africa to ban all forms of corporal punishment of children

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African child rights organisations urge governments in Africa to ban all forms of corporal punishment of children

03 Nov 2008 12:50:00 GMT
Source: Save the Children - Sweden (Rädda Barnen)
Tapiwa Gomo

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A wide range of child rights organisations from across Africa supported by Save the Children Sweden have presented a submission to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in Addis Ababa today requesting the Committee to issue a written statement urging States in Africa to prohibit corporal and other forms of humiliating punishment of children in all settings and to promote measures to implement and promote this prohibition.

An All Africa Special Report (2007) indicates that corporal and other forms of humiliating punishment are widely practiced in Africa. In many African countries corporal punishment is still legally sanctioned as a sentence in the penal system, as a disciplinary measure in alternative care settings and also in schools. Corporal punishment of children by their parents is still permitted in all African countries provided it is reasonable and moderate.

Children are physically, emotionally and socially the most vulnerable members of our society. Despite this children are given the least protection against physical violence than anyone else. In addition to slapping and smacking children are subjected to being kicked and to beatings with fists, sjambocks, whips, sticks, hosepipes and belts. Children are burnt, tied up, locked up, required to kneel on hard and uneven surfaces, pinched, forced to undertake excessive labour and to stand in the hot sun for long periods of time. All in this is done in the name of discipline. This result in a range of injuries to children including fractures, loss of consciousness, burns and permanent disability.

"This state of affairs continues to exist despite various calls made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child as well as the recent United Nations Study on Violence Against Children calling for an outright ban of all forms of corporal and other forms of humiliating punishment of children as this amounts to a violation of children's human rights to physical integrity, human dignity, equality and their right to be protected from all forms of violence.," says Mr Assefa Bequele, Director of the African Child Policy Forum. "We are approaching the African Committee of Experts as it is our view that support from this Committee in relation to the provisions of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child on the issue, is critical to strengthen efforts to protect African children from these forms of violence," he added.

Members of this group of the child rights organizations also highlighted that discipling children through violent means may contribute to future societal violence. "Corporal and other forms of humiliating punishment have serious psychological effects as children feel humiliated and degraded and they become angry and resentful towards those who punish them this way. This leads to repressed anger which can be manifested in hatred towards themselves and others," says Judith Mulenga, Director of the Zambian Civic Education Association.

DITSHWANELO, the Botswana Centre for Human Rights, called for the development and adoption of positive discipline measure as a way of building trust in the child-parent relationship. "We know that children must be disciplined, but this can be achieved through a range of other positive discipline measures which do not cause pain and violence against a child. Children learn from their environment and by copy the behaving of their parents and immediate relatives and friends." Ms Emily Ruhukwa from DITSHWANELO - the Botswana Centre for Human Rights added.

The African child rights organisations are calling on the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, who is a group of experts overseeing the implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, to take a clear public stance against all forms of corporal and other forms of humiliating punishment and to actively engage with the member States to ensure that Africans states outlaws corporal punishment without delay. The Committee should also support the recommendation in the Africa Declaration on Violence Against Girls for the African Union to establish a Special Envoy on Violence against Children to support the efforts of the Committee towards preventing, reporting and monitoring violence against children on the Continent.

The group of African child rights organisations will be represented at the hearing by the African Committee of Experts on the Right and Welfare of the Child by the African Child Policy Forum and representatives of the Southern African Network to End Corporal and Humiliating Punishment of Children.

End

For more information please contact: Tapiwa Gomo: Regional Communications Officer, Save the Children Sweden: +27 82 8880341, +27 12430428 or email tapiwag@saf.savethechildren.se

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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