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 Posted - 24 Nov 2008 : 18:27:20
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See the report on The Gambia at: http://www.africanchild.info/africanreport08/documents/021.pdf
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Teh full report of all African countries is at: http://www.africanchildinfo.net/africanreport08/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=56
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How Child Friendly is the Continent
Inter Press Service (Johannesburg)
OPINION
21 November 2008
By Sanjay Suri
London
Forget all those Gross Domestic Product rankings for a moment. Think, as a new survey in Africa sets out, of ranking countries by how friendly they are to children.
It just might matter more.
The report released on the Universal Day of the Child Nov. 20 ranks 52 African countries using an index of more than 40 indicators. And it finds that some of the poorest nations are the most child-friendly. And some of the wealthier African nations fail to protect their children against exploitation and harmful traditional practices.
In some of these wealthy countries, the minimum ages -- particularly for marriage and criminal responsibility -- are too low and in some cases also discriminatory, says The Africa Child Policy Forum based in Addis Ababa, an independent pan-African policy and advocacy organisation that carried out the study.
Mauritius and Namibia are rated the most child friendly nations in Africa. The other most child-friendly governments on the index include both relatively rich countries -- Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, South Africa and Algeria -- and relatively poor countries -- Kenya, Malawi and Cape Verde. Rwanda and Burkina Faso are in 11th and 12th position despite their economic status.
The least child-friendly governments are Guinea Bissau, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Liberia, Chad, Swaziland, Comoros and Guinea. "Many of these countries have not ratified the relevant child rights treaties, do not have adequate legal provisions to protect children against abuse and harmful traditional practices like early marriage, do not have juvenile justice systems, do not prohibit corporal punishment and do not exert the maximum effort to provide for children's basic needs," the report says.
"From the point of view of policy instruments and child outcomes, the differences are quite significant," Dr Assefa Bequele, executive director of the ACPF told IPS in a telephone interview from Nairobi. "The countries at the bottom have not initiated a legal regime that is protective of, or promotes the right of children. Secondly, they have also not implemented a budgetary policy or programme that favours children."
The fact that those who have done well include rich and poor nations alike "seems to suggest that government friendliness to children is not related to economic status," Bequele said. "What is critical is the political commitment of the government."
The 'African Report on Child Wellbeing: How child-friendly are African governments' has devised 'child friendly index' among African governments, excluding Somalia and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara).
The 'top 10' most child friendly governments are Mauritius (1), Namibia (2), Tunisia (3), Libya (4), Morocco (5), Kenya (6), South Africa (7), Malawi (8), Algeria (9)and Cape Verde (10). "These countries have put in place child-friendly laws and policies, use a large share of their resources to provide for the basic needs of children, and have improved the use of health and education services," the report says.
The least child-friendly governments are Guinea-Bissau (52), Eritrea (51), Central African Republic (50), Gambia (49), Sao Tome and Principe (48), Liberia (47), Chad (46), Swaziland (45), Guinea (44) and Comoros (43). Immediately above are those governments ranked as less child-friendly, namely those of Ethiopia (ranked 42), Benin (41), Sierra Leone (40), Sudan (39), Equatorial Guinea (38), Zimbabwe (37), Côte d'Ivoire (36), Angola (35), Congo (Brazzaville) (34) and Cameroon (33).
The report finds that the top investors in children's health are four low-income countries -- Burkina Faso (15.3 percent), Rwanda (16.5 percent), Liberia (20.1 percent) and Malawi (28.8 percent).
In all, 16 countries are ten or more places lower in their child-friendliness than in their gross domestic product (GDP) ranking. Sixteen countries are ten or more places higher in child-friendliness than their GDP ranking.
The indicators used in the child-friendliness index cover three key dimensions -- protection through law and policy, budgeting, and outcomes.
"Kenya is ranked top of the index on this dimension because it has developed appropriate laws to protect children from harmful traditional practices, trafficking and sexual exploitation," the report says. "It is one of the few countries where corporal punishment is banned in schools and penal systems; a juvenile justice system has been set up; and there is a policy of free primary education."
Following Kenya, other governments that have done well in putting in place appropriate legal and policy foundation on child rights and policies are Madagascar, Burundi, Morocco, Namibia, Rwanda, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Libya, the report says. "They have ratified most of the international child rights treaties, and their national laws criminalise, among others, child trafficking and sexual exploitation."
The report finds:
- Ten out of 51 countries had not ratified the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) as of June 2007
- A third did not have legal provisions for protection against child trafficking
- A quarter had no legislation prohibiting harmful traditional practices such as female genital cutting
- Some 10 countries had a minimum age of criminal responsibility of just seven years, and eight out of 52 countries had between eight and 10 years (lower than the recommended minimum of 12)
- More than half of the 52 countries reviewed have not yet banned corporal punishment in schools or in the penal system
- Less than half the governments had policies that provided for free primary education
- Twenty of the 52 countries have not set up specialised juvenile courts, so children's cases are dealt with in adult courts.
The report recommends African governments do the following:
- Budgets: Develop child-friendly budgeting throughout Africa
- Health: government should dedicate as much as 20 percent of their budgets to health, but at least nine percent as a first step for those at the lower end of the budget index
- Education: governments should dedicate 13 percent of GDP to education, at least 4.3 as a standing measure percent for those trailing behind
- Child protection: review national laws to comply with international standards, particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, ratify international and regional treaties on children and strengthen government implementation, monitoring and enforcement bodies.
There is no indication how the child friendliness of African governments compares with that in Asia or Latin America. "This kind of survey has not been carried out in other countries; this way of determining child friendliness is the first of its kind in methodology and approach," says Bequele. "But it is likely that Asian and Latin American countries will be similar in that child friendliness is determined not by economic status but by political commitment."
Bequele is realistic but optimistic about what difference this study might make. "It is difficult to effect a cause and effect relationship between advocacy activities and the policy of governments, it takes a long time before one impacts the other," he says.
"But we hope a lot of child welfare organisations can use this as a tool with their governments. The response so far has been far, far beyond our expectations. We are optimistic that it will trigger interest among governments, and lead to a change in policies."
From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200811210657.html?viewall=1
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admin
130 Posts |
Posted - 24 Nov 2008 : 18:28:12
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Replies:
Reply author: gambiabev
Replied on: 22 Nov 2008 08:02:35
Message:
This makes interesting reading.
I would be interested to know from Gambians on this site how they felt their rights as a child in Gambia could have been improved?
Children should have a voice and their wishes should be listened to.
If The Gambian government could change a few things quickly, what would make the most difference?
As a teacher I think FREE education for 3 - 11 year olds and it be made illegal AND ENFORCED for this age group not to work for money outside of the home.
Physical punishment in school for this age group should also be illegal.
And I would make FGM illegal.
Good health care to increase life expectancy.
Good contraception advice and support to limit family sizes. Every child wanted and cared for.
In the UK we have the EVERY CHILD MATTERS policy from government that should be in place in all schools.
Children are the future for any country and we should all be doing our best to give them the best start in life and give them hope of a bright future.
I would love to hear others views and ideas on this. Perhaps Bantaba could produce a suggestions paper for the government!!!
Reply author: jambo
Replied on: 22 Nov 2008 08:44:38
Message:
this was an interesting read, i do think education is an investment in a childs development without it they are open to all sorts of negative things, bad jobs, housing, marriages etc. the poorly educated never know their rights.
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