Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
The Bauchi Field Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has organised a stakeholders roundtable advocacy meeting on protecting child rights,as part of efforts to address the rising cases of violations, low protection and survival rates of children in some Northeastern States.
This was as the organisation reaffirmed that child protection is a fundamental right that must be guaranteed for every child at all levels, family, community and national.
The stakeholders, comprising Journalists, social welfare workers, security agents, lawyers and traditional rulers from Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe states converged in Gombe to strengthen the existing efforts of protecting and promoting the rights of every child.
Many children in these states face survival and protection impediments even with the domestication of laws such as Violence Against People Prohibition (VAPP) act and the Child Rights act.
Speaking at a one-day stakeholders’ roundtable and advocacy meeting on Child Rights covering Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe states, held at Emerald hotel, Gombe yesterday, the Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, emphasised that child rights begin from birth and must be protected throughout a child’s life.
Dr. Rafique charged the stakeholders to see children protection and survival as a challenge that must be addressed right from child birth.
She said, “the first right of the child is birth registration”, stressing other basic survival needs to include, immunisation, nutrition, adequate health care, education among many others to ensure children grow up to their full potentials.
Speaking on sexual violence as it relates to children, Rafique described the menace as a very sensitive issue.
According to her, “even as small as six months old babies are being raped and abused.
“I have seen their names and I have seen the babies in the sexual assault referral center that we will talk about in Gombe, in Bauchi.
“And trust me, when I was reading the names and ages, I was crying. I was literally crying looking at those ages. That is a huge violation of child’s rights.
“This is really a very worrying situation in our State and maybe in the country, but it is overall in all developing countries we see these cases. These are very unfortunate cases,” she decried.
She emphasised that abuse has long-term psychological and physical effects on children and called for stronger referral systems and access to care for survivors.
Rafique also identified lack of education and awareness as major drivers of child rights violations. She argued that educating children today would help build responsible parents in the future and significantly reduce abuse cases.
“If every child is educated, tomorrow’s parents will be better equipped to protect their children,” she said.
She called on journalists, traditional rulers, government officials, and communities to play active roles in promoting child rights awareness and ensuring enforcement at all levels.
According to her, safeguarding children is a collective responsibility that goes beyond government efforts alone.
“Children are the most precious gift. Protecting them and ensuring their rights is a duty for everyone,” she said.
In her presentation, Ladi Alabi, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, gave a harrowing overview of sexual assault against children, precedence, trends and drivers in the three states, Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe.
She also highlighted the effects of these violations against children and the impact it leaves on the children’s physical, psychological and social being.
Sexual violence against children remains a critical protection concern and a violation of child rights, however, there are many unreported cases due to stigma, fear, and limited awareness of available support systems.
Addressing this challenges requires a coordinated and multi-sectoral response involving key stakeholders
across Government, civil society, media, and community structures who participated in the roundtable engagement.
It is expected that at the end of the engagement, the participants would strengthen collaboration, enhance understanding of referral pathways, and promote sustained advocacy toward preventing and responding to sexual assault and violations against children.
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