Children’s Recommendations from West and Central Africa

Summary: Children’s Recommendations for the Regional
Consultation – Bamako 19-22 May ‏2005

The original document is in French and is
available at the link below.

Twenty children from 15 countries in West and Central Africa, representing both school attending children, as well as working children, gathered in Bamako to prepare for the Regional Consultation on violence against children. The forum was facilitated by Save the Children Sweden Regional Office for West Africa.

After having looked at the situation of children affected by violence in their
respective countries through surveys, fact-minding missions, all organised
by children’s associations, they developed the following recommendations:

1. Children are victims of all sorts of violence in West and Central Africa,
and this phenomenon takes worrying proportions in times of crises or
armed conflict that persist in this region

2. Children are victims of physical and psychological violence, sexual abuse
within the family, the school, the work place, in institutions and during
armed conflicts

3. Within the family, children are violently beaten for misbehaving, for being
disrespectful to adults, for stealing, etc.

4. In schools, children are subject to physical violence, insults, are
humiliated for being late, for not knowing their lessons, for not having
done their homework, for talking, fighting between children, not respecting
rules, being absent, etc.

5. In the workplace and in apprentice programmes, children are subjected
to violence for not doing their work properly, for not following instructions,
etc.

6. In the streets, children suffer aggressions of all kinds, beaten,
possessions stolen from them, exploited by adults whenever they do
something wrong

7. Sexual crimes have become widespread, both in the family, the school,
institutions and on the streets. Incest, pedophilia and child prostitution
takes alarming proportions to the general indifference of society

8. Children are still being forcibly recruited into armed conflicts in violation
of their rights, and international conventions that their states have ratified

9. Certain groups of children, such as girls, disabled children, or children
affected by HIV/AIDS are discriminated against and excluded, which
renders them even more vulnerable.

10. Certain traditional and religious practices such as female genital
mutilation, forced marriages, married for dowry, or the worst forms of child
labour are on the increase

11. Adults still think that corporal punishment and physical violence are
means of educating children and that the fear of being physically punished
makes children behave themselves. The community tolerates these
violations of children’s rights.

12. The consequences of violence to children are grave and dramatic,
ranging from traumatism, to loss of life, through injuries, physical
disabilities, psychological damage with risks of using violence themselves
when they grow up, failure at school, family breakdown, juvenile
delinquency, health problems and suicide.

These acts of violence against children are thus harmful to their health,
their development, and their wellbeing.

After analysis of the various forms of violence against children at the
preparatory session where they exchanged experiences, discussions, as
well as workshops, the child delegates made the following recommendations:

Corporal punishment in the home:

- sensitise parents about the consequences of violence against children
(media campaigns using fairy tales and proverbs)
- teach parents how to communicate with their children (parents’ school)
- prioritise dialogue with children
- train them on education without violence
- offer alternative disciplining methods
- inform parents about child rights and laws that ban corporal punishment
- alleviate poverty and increase family benefits for children
- parents must get to know their children better and reasons for them
misbehaving
- adopt and implement laws on violence against children

Corporal punishment in the school:

- increase the number of education advisers and sensitise teachers about
corporal punishment
- create councils for discipline in schools that can work in partnership with
children’s organisations
- establish and disseminate internal rules of conduct
- sensitise education inspectors about corporal punishment
- ensure children’s security in schools
- parents have to accompany younger children to school
- offer alternative punitive measures

Corporal punishment in the work place, in the streets and in institutions:

- sensitise employers about child rights and consequences of corporal
punishment to children
- respect children
- educate employers to listen to children
- ensure children’s safety at work
- value alternative education methods
- encourage and support the development of child led organisations

Sexual violence:

- get rid of taboos
- sexual education for children
- punish those who commit the acts and those who are quiet about them
- create support centres for victims (free)
- set up free phone lines to break the silence
- ensure children’s safety
- educate children about sexual violence
- countries have to ratify and conform to laws protecting children
- create preventative laws and disseminate information about them
- create committees for eliminating violence against children, particularly
sexual violence
- find healthy ways for children to spend their free time
- limit video clubs

Traditional and cultural practices

- forbid harmful traditional practices by law
- launch awareness campaigns for the community
- create local committees for child protection