Children’s Day: UNICEF tasks stakeholders on violence against children

UNICEF on Friday called on stakeholders to sustain commitments made to end Violence Against Children (VAC) in the country.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the Media and External Relations Officer, Mr Geoffery Njoku.

The statement was in commemoration of Children’s Day with the theme: “Protect the rights of the Child in the Face of Violence and Insecurity: End Child Marriage”.

Quoting UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Ms Jean Gough, it said the theme of this year’s celebration will shed more light on the unprecedented levels of VAC in the country in recent times.

President Muhammadu Buhari in conjunction with National Priority Actions launched the Year of Action to end VAC in Sept. 2015, and urged state governments to do same.

“In the North East, we have witnessed, and continue to witness grave violations of children’s rights; killings, abductions, sexual violence and use in suicide bombings by Boko Haram.

“More than 1.2 million children have been displaced and more than half of them are below the age of five.

“However, children living away from the crisis in the northeast are also at risk of violence.

“The Children’s Day offers the opportunity to highlight the significant pledges made by the Federal Government, NGOs, religious groups and the media last September to join hands to end violence against children.

“It calls for renewed efforts by all stakeholders to turn the commitments they made into action for children,” it said.

Gough repeated that part of the commitments made was key actions by ministries, agencies, NGOs, religious groups and the media to end VAC.

However, the statement noted that state governments were responding to the call to launch campaign to end VAC.

“Lagos was the first state to heed the President’s call by launching its own campaign and priority actions in February 2016.

“Cross River will be the second in June 2016, while Bayelsa State domesticated the Child Rights Act.

“Nine States, with funding from USAID and the European Union, have joined together to develop a model child protection system in order to translate this essential Act into reality,” it said.

A National Violence against Children Survey conducted in 2014 revealed that there was prevalence of sexual, physical and emotional violence suffered by children in the country.

The survey also estimated that half of all children in the country experienced physical violence, adding that one in four girls and one in 10 boys experienced sexual violence.

It also highlighted that one in six girls and one in five boys experienced emotional violence before they attained the age of 18 years whereas less than four percent got the help they need to recover.

The statement, however, said “there is no better time than today to take action; together, let’s end violence against children”.