Strengthening Child Protection Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa:
A Call to Action
CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEMS IN AFRICA
Child
Protection
• Child protection seeks to guarantee the right of all children to a life free
from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect in both emergency and
non-emergency settings
Systems
• The best way to achieve that right
Actors
• Children and youth, families,
communities, government, civil
society, and private organisations
INTRODUCTION: GLOBAL AND REGIONAL CONTEXT
• Significant changes in how the global community is approaching child
protection
• Higher income countries– increasing focus on cost-effective early
intervention, prevention and family support
• Middle and low-income countries – moving from single issue
approaches to a comprehensive systems strengthening approach
• Partners in West & Central Africa start a group to discuss the
mapping of child protection systems in their region. They are later
joined by partners in East & Southern Africa for the preparation of
the conference. Progressively, it is hoped the group is joined by North
African partners in order to establish a Pan-African mouvement
IMPORTANCE OF CHILD PROTECTION
High prevalence rates of
violence, exploitation and
abuse across the continent
This is correlated with poor
physical and mental health,
including HIV-incidence,
and lower educational
participation and
performance
Investments in child
protection can accordingly
strengthen human capital
and increase national
income over the medium
to long term – protection is
not solely a ‘rights’ issue.
THE SYSTEMS APPROACH
WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM…
WHERE WE ARE HEADING…
Programmes –
coordinated
activities with a
more coherent,
ambitious vision
Projects – focus
on a narrow
activities
Duplication,
Waste, Missed
Opportunities
Short term
planning – 1-2
year project
cycles
Focus on
categories of
children –
vertical
approaches
Focus on
services/case
management for
individual
children
Coordination,
Efficient and
Effective use of
limited
resources
Long term
planning – 5 to
10 year vision
Focus on all
vulnerable
children – not
just categories –
move toward
horizontal
programming
Family-centred
approach strengthening
families and
communities
KEY EVENTS AND DOCUMENTS
1999: African
Charter on the
Rights and
Welfare of the
Child
2006: African
Youth Charter;
UN Secretary
General’s Study
on Violence
Against
Children
2008: UNICEF’s
Global Child
Protection
Strategy
2009: Countries
in sub-Saharan
Africa launched
processes to
map and
understand the
systems in
place and
decide on key
priorities for
action
2010: Chapin
Hall Paper –
Described key
elements that
every system –
including a
child protection
system - should
have
2012: Dakar
Conference – to
reinforce,
support and
sustain national
efforts to
improve the
impact of child
protection
systems on
children
2012: Delhi
Conference – A
better way to
protect all
children
2013: Joint
Statement
meetings and
preparation
WHY A JOINT INTER-AGENCY
STATEMENT?
(i)
To present our common understanding of
child protection systems in sub-Saharan
Africa and why they are important and
worthy of investment
(ii) To issue a call to action to governments,
the African Union, regional economic
communities, multilateral agencies,
donors, the private sector, academia, civil
society organisations, communities and
organised children’s and youth groups.
THE ACTORS
Children
8
ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM
i.
ii.
Appropriate policies, legislation and regulations
Well-defined structures and functions and adequate
capacities
iii. Supportive social norms
iv. Effective promotion, prevention and response actions
v. High quality evidence and data for decision-making
vi. Efficient fiscal management and sufficient resource
allocation.
When these elements and actors work together, they create a system
that is better able to protect all children.
WORKING SYSTEMICALLY IN AFRICA
The systems approach to
child protection
acknowledges that children
face complex problems that
require a multi-disciplinary
response.
Exposure to multiple
risks can greatly
increase the likelihood
of harm to the
individual child.
A single child might
suffer from severe
neglect, exploitation,
family separation, and
sexual violence.
SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING IN AFRICA
Mapping the system –
nearly half the countries
have completed or
launched exercises to map
and assess their system
Developing national
policies and coordination
mechanisms
Including protection in
national budgets and
medium term expenditure
frameworks
Integrated Service Models
at the decentralized level –
that rely heavily on
community-based child
protection mechanisms
Social Service Workforce
Strengthening
Monitoring and Evaluation
– VAC prevalence studies
HOW DOES THE SYSTEMS APPROACH MAKE
A DIFFERENCE TO CHILDREN?
Fatou’s father left her mother
when she was six. …………..
HOW DOES A SYSTEMS APPROACH MAKE
A DIFFERENCE TO CHILDREN?
At each step along the way, a strong child protection system can
make a difference
• Fatou’s father left her mother when she was six. Her mother could no
longer cope so she was sent to live with her Uncle in the city
• Her Uncle’s friend came round a lot to visit. He soon started buying
Fatou gifts and began to abuse her repeatedly
• She kept silent as she felt scared and did not know who to tell
• Many months later, her Aunt discovered what was happening and
immediately took Fatou to the hospital
• She received some treatment for the bleeding, but the Aunt told her
not to say anything as this would bring shame on the family
• Although her Uncle’s friend did not come round anymore, Fatou
found it difficult to concentrate in school
• If the local social services were aware that Fatou’s
mother was struggling financially, they could have
provided a cash grant to help the family and
prevent the initial separation
• If teachers at Fatou’s school had been trained in
child protection, they might have noticed her
changing behaviour in class and referred the case to
the local child protection team
• If Fatou’s Aunt had heard on the radio a broadcast
on what to do if she knew someone who was being
abused, she might have call the free Helpline
• And if the health worker who assessed Fatou was
part of an integrated services board in his town, he
may have reported the case to the police and
ensured the perpetrator was put in prison
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATION
WE CALL FOR:
1.continued and expanded collaboration on child protection
systems strengthening among all civil society actors
(organisations, communities and their leaders, families,
young people and children) to ensure that their efforts
reinforce each other and are enriched by the sharing of
resources and experience;
2. more systematic and sustained efforts to monitor and
evaluate civil society involvement in child protection
systems strengthening, providing feedback on successful
approaches to all partners in the system;
WE CALL FOR:
3. further development of the role of civil society as the
essential link in child protection systems strengthening
between formal and less formal elements, providing the
formal actors with knowledge and understanding of the
communitylevel while building capacity of the civil society
actors; and
4. strengthening and reinforcement by traditional and faith
leaders and local representatives of community values, norms
and practices that protect children, and advocacy for the
transformation of those practices that put children at risk.
MERCI
THANKS
MUCHAS
GRACIAS