By Caroline katana
We believe a world without violence against children is possible, the goal of child protection is to strengthen the security of boys and girls from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and other forms of violence.
Violence against children is a critical concern for the most vulnerable girls and boys everywhere.
Children who experience violence are often left with long-lasting negative social, emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual consequences.
Over 1 billion children suffer violence every year costing the world US$ 7 trillion, far more than the cost of preventing violence.
Child marriage, child labor, and corporal punishment still affect children daily, children with disabilities also suffer disproportionately and are more likely to be neglected or physically, emotionally, and sexually abused.
A lot of children in our society today are simply growing up and not being raised as they deserve, this is because many parents, especially fathers have either absconded or are busy chasing things that don’t matter in the long run.
In this era becoming a parent is by and large a choice, don’t choose to be if you don’t want to be.
In Kenya, the government has developed and adopted policies and enacted laws to protect children, however, thousands are still exposed to violence and abuse, harmful practices, lack of parental care, and sexual exploitation.
Children also face specific risks during and after emergencies such as floods, droughts, conflict, or epidemics and an emerging threat for children is online abuse and exploitation.
The government has developed a strong legal and policy framework to protect children. The 2010 constitution of Kenya (Article 53) recognizes the right of all children to be protected from abuse, neglect, harmful cultural practices, all forms of violence, inhumane treatment and punishment, and hazardous or exploitative labor.
Safe space for children
A safe space is a place for children to navigate their big feelings, everyone experiences feelings that are powerful and overwhelming, however as a child, these feelings can seem impossible to face.
A safe space is best utilized when it provides the child with protection and privacy.
All children have the right to protection, the right to survive, to be safe, to belong, to be heard, to receive adequate care, and to grow up in a protective environment.
A family is the first line of protection for children, Parents or other caregivers are responsible for building a protective and loving home environment,
Schools and communities are responsible for building a safe and child-friendly environment outside the child’s home.
In the family, school, and community, children should be fully protected so they can survive, grow, learn, and develop to their fullest potential.
Millions of children are not fully protected globally, many of them deal with violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, exclusion and/or discrimination every day. Such violations limit their chances of surviving, growing, developing, and pursuing their dreams.
Any child can be vulnerable to violations in many places: schools, children’s homes, worship places, and their homes.
The actual number of children experiencing violations is not easy to determine, it is estimated that about 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 experienced forced sexual intercourse and other forms of sexual violence and exploitation.
In some communities in Kenya incest is a norm, young girls die in silence in the hands of their fathers, a quarterly report from the children’s department in the south coastal region of Kenya shows approximately 4,000 cases reported, and 60 percent are a result of incest.
Kwale County is not exceptional with incest cases, relatives getting married in some community is a norm.
A case recorded at Kwale police station in 2020 is a case of a 14-year-old girl in a village in Matuga sub-county being sexually abused by her father every day speaks volumes about how humanity has changed to animalism.
“My father used to sexually harass me 7 like times in the absence of my mother, every midnight he could come in my room, put off the light, pull out my clothes, and rape me, whenever I tried to defend myself, he could hold me tight and he warned me not to reveal his evil act to anyone, he threatened to beat me to an extend of fainting,” narrates Mnyazi not her real name.
Mnyazi explained how she was forced to persevere punishments whenever she failed to satisfy her father conjugally.
“Whenever I failed to cooperate with him, he could wake early in the morning and start beating me asking why I did not sleep with him, he used to hold me at the abdomen tight asking why I didn’t want to offer my body to him, he was beating me inside the house but I used to try my best to pull myself outside,” she claimed.
She said that her father, who is a witch doctor, threatened to kill her using his magic.
“He used to say that he was in love with me and that if I couldn’t love him back, he would kill me using his magic. He said he would be sleeping with me when my mother is away and that I should not tell anybody,” she said.
After her story went viral in social, local, and mainstream media the minor was rescued and got her refuge at Tsimba Children’s Home.
“My father tortured me if I failed to return home early enough from school, he could think that I was spending time with local boys in the village, and he would force my siblings to tell him where I was delayed and that is the time he will fight me when my stepmother tried to defend me he could quarrel her,” noted Mnyazi.
In some homesteads, religious institutions, and children’s homes cases of child abuse have been reported countrywide, so where is the safe space for children?
Speaking at Redeemed church in Kombani, Kwale County during a sensitization forum on countering sexual gender-based violence against children in worship areas Kenya community support center, JISRA program officer Mwalimu Rama said there is a need for a multi-stakeholder approach in countering SGBV.
“I urge religious leaders and teachers to report these cases to the relevant authorities for the law to take its course against the perpetrators, we must all protect child rights, “said Rama.
He called on the community to end the practice of settling SGBV cases at kangaroo courts, noting that the action deprives the victims of their rights.
“Parents must be more vigilant on their children and make sure every case of abuse is reported at the police station, it’s so unfortunate that most cases of child abuse involving family members are rarely reported fearing that they may cause marriage break up or become a source of family disputes,” noted Rama.
The JISRA officer challenged the security department to put up measures for dealing with sexual cases involving minors.
Mariam Said Mohamed said there is a need for continuous sensitization forums at the grassroots levels.
“Society must amplify their voices and condemn these evil acts and ensure children grow up with morals because there is no religion that pertains to evil,” said Mariam.
Mariam noted that the lack of proper social media regulations, especially TikTok, has contributed to the moral deviation of children.
“Social media is a major contributor to deviation of children’s morals because everyone posts what they want even abusive videos because there is no law to control the use of Tiktok, it’s like a free world where everyone can move from one place to another without a passport and visa,” she noted.
Pastor Jane Mwelu from Ukunda confirmed that the lack of reporting SGBV cases is the greatest enemy of child rights.
“There is a need for the community to reveal perpetrators to the police no matter the circumstances for the law to take its course, the story of this perpetrator is a relative or a husband does not add value to this fight, stakeholders must come with speed on matters SGBV reporting sensitization forums at the grassroots levels to secure rights of children,” Said Jane.
Recalling the Declaration on the Rights and Welfare of the African Child (AHG/ST.4 Rev.l) adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity, at its Sixteenth Ordinary Session in Monrovia, Liberia, from 17 to 20 July 1979, recognized the need to take appropriate measures to promote and protect the rights and welfare of the African Child.
Noting with concern that the situation of most African children remains critical due to the unique factors of their socio-economic, cultural, traditional, and developmental circumstances, natural disasters, armed conflicts, exploitation, and hunger, and on account of the child’s physical and mental immaturity he/she needs special safeguards and care.
