Child Protection week – 31 May to 7 June 2020

Child Protection week – 31 May to 7 June 2020

National Child Protection week is held in our country annually to raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in sec 28 of the SA Constitution.

All sectors of society is mobilised in this week to ensure that children are cared for and protected . It is every citizen's duty to play his / her role in protecting our children  from violence, hunger , exploitation and abuse , and creating a safe and secure environment for them .

The pre-amble to the SA Children's Act , 38 of 2005 , states that the protection of children 's rights leads to a corresponding improvement in the lives of other sections of our community because it is neither desirable nor possible to protect children's rights in isolation from their families and communities .  If we therefore protect the rights of our children , families and communities benefit as well .

The United Nations  has in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed that children are entitled to special care and assistance .

The seriousness of child abuse , hunger and neglect are :

1. Millions of boys and girls under the age of 18 years old experience forms of sexual abuse in one way or the other, annually , worldwide,
2. Millions of children are engaged in forced child labour, worldwide ,
3. Millions of girls worldwide works as domestic workers in private households,
4. Millions of children are trafficked annually , worldwide ,
5. The birth of millions of children , worldwide , annually , is never registered,
6. Millions of children experience physical punishment in their homes , worldwide , annually ,
7. Millions of children worldwide die of malnutrition , annually .

The call on all members of society , men and woman , law enforcement authorities, state and non-state organisations , to protect our children , and consider their best interests at all times , is important because :

1. Violence, exploitation and abuse affects the child's physical and psychological development in the short and long term ,
2. Impairing their ability to learn and built healthy relationships and socialise naturally ,
3. And mostly impacting their transition to adulthood with adverse consequences later in their lives.