Banjul,
03 February 2020 – Recognizable progress has been registered in The Gambia, but
children continue to face violence and abuse in homes, schools and public
places. As The Gambia joins the rest of the world to usher in the Decade of
Action (2020 -2030), a period of renewed commitment to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals, UNICEF The Gambia is calling for stronger action to protect
children from violence and abuse.
Gains
have been made in Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals – Target 16.2 –
with calls for amendment to all forms of violence against children, but,
overall, action to meet the goal is not advancing at the speed or scale
required. 2020 needs to usher in a decade of ambitious action to protect
children from violence, abuse and exploitation – and achieve the SDGs in
general.
UNICEF
The Gambia is encouraged by The Gambia government’s explicit stance on child
abuse or exploitation, especially the recent statement of the Ministry of
Women, Children and Social Welfare declaring “zero tolerance” for abuse or
exploitation of children. UNICEF is keen to match the government’s determination
with our best efforts to transform the tragedies that children have endured
into the protection, hope and opportunity they deserve.
To
ensure full protection of children from all forms of violence, UNICEF urges The
Gambia government to:
1. Implement laws to ensure the
prohibition of all forms of violence against children including physical,
sexual and emotional violence – in all settings, including schools, home,
public spaces and institutions. In “The Gambia we Want” call to action, the Children’s
National Assembly in November 2019 demanded, among other things, the effective
enforcement of “all the laws which protect children from all forms of abuse,
violence, exploitation, hazardous labour and trafficking.”
2. Adopt a comprehensive national plan to
end violence against children, with a timeline and clearly defined national
objectives, priorities and responsibilities for implementation across relevant
ministries and other government entities;
3. Strengthen national child protection
systems by making critical social services available to support all children at
risk or victims of violence;
4. Invest resources in the protection of
children and provide appropriate budget allocations for effective
implementation of national plans to end violence against children;
5. Monitor the implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals through investment in the collection of quality
evidence on violence against children and integrate the data into national
statistics and strategies.
UNICEF
The Gambia recognizes the work of partners, including civil society, private
sector, local communities, and development partners in the protection of
children, and calls for stronger action from all partners to protect children
in The Gambia from violence and abuse. UNICEF will continue to work with the
Government and stakeholders to ensure all children are safe in their homes,
schools, streets and public spaces.
