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Violence Against Children and West and Central Africa : An overview of the
regional report
Organised by UNICEF, in collaboration with the Government of Mali, this
third regional consultation will gather government representatives,
International, regional and national NGOs, children and media from 24
countries of West and Central Africa. As with other regions, West and
Central Africa will be focusing the consultation on four main areas:
1. violence in the family
2. violence in the community
3. violence in institutions
4. child labour and violence
1. Violence in the family:
Violence against children within the family exists, but more often than not,
it remains hidden. The contours of these acts of violence are multiple: they
vary according to the context and the position of each family member.
Although some acts are violent, they not always considered as such by all.
The dialectic of children/parents/society cannot be simplified and each
component interacts. There are no single causes to violence. There are
several cultural, economic, social, geographical and political factors which
determine the different forms of violence in the family: physical, sexual and
psychological.
2. Violence in the community:
Each community in West and Central Africa has its own cultural and
traditional practices which constitute the framework of these societies. The
problem is that some of them result in violence to children, such as
excision and early marriage. They are generally not carried out with the
aim of harming the child but are connected to the socialization process of
the child in society and to marriage.
Other issues looked at in terms of violence in the community include child
witches and mystical beliefs, this exists in various forms and can be found
in Benin, Gabon, Nigeria, Liberia, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of
the Congo. Another issue is stigmatization of children affected by
HIV/AIDS. These children already find themselves in a state of great
psychological distress and this is made worse by being stigmatized and
discriminated against, sometimes being excluded from the community,
schools and from access to healthcare.
Another type of violence occurring in the community is the culture of
violence in post-conflict countries. During armed conflict, children and
adults are indoctrinated in a culture of violence and may later have huge
difficulties in adapting to the values of peace as they are “desensitized” to
violence. Women and young girls who have been raped often speak of the
rejection they suffer from their husband, family and the community.
Physical and psychological trauma means they may find themselves
rejected onto the fringes of society.
3. Violence in institutions
Two main areas are being looked at here: violence in schools and violence
for children in conflict with the law. In schools, views on the educational
virtues of corporal punishment have been echoed. All pupils questioned
say that they have witnessed, at least once in their school life, physical
violence towards one of their schoolmates or that themselves have been
victims of violence. Girls are also victims of sexual abuse and harassment
in the classroom. The Ministries of Education in the different countries
recognise the existence of such criminal acts but do not take all
appropriate measures to make schools somewhere where children are
protected.
In terms of children in the conflict with the law, when children are
imprisoned, their rights are often flouted throughout her/his dealings with
the police of the judicial system. In order to protect children, juvenile
justice calls for specific treatment, approach and solutions whether at
detention or defence level.
4. Child labour:
The supply of child labour has been growing over the past two decades. In
West and Central Africa, child work mainly takes place within family-type
framework (informal activities, domestic work, agriculture, etc.). But for
several years, there has been a progression in activities which are
particularly dangerous for children.
Other forms of violence within this context include child trafficking, which
usually takes place on three levels: when a child is taken from his/her
family setting, during transfer and process, and exploitation through
labour, including sexual exploitation. Children working as domestic workers
are also very vulnerable, as they are working behind closed doors and
subjected to violence without the outside world knowing. Finally, children
living on the streets face violence on a daily basis. These children have no
family support, live in appalling conditions, suffer from various illnesses and
often have no choice but to engage in work such as prostitution, or face
sexual abuse, police harassment, etc.
For more information, contact:
UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office
Immeuble Maimouna II
Route de l’aeroport
BP : 29720 Dakar-Yoff
Dakar – Senegal
Tel: +221 869 5858
Fax: +221 820 3065
Web: www.unicef.org