To ensure the safety of children, FAME Foundation and the French Embassy in Nigeria have called on federal and state governments to review Child’s Rights Act Of 2003.
The executive director of FAME Foundation, Arabinrin Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, made the appeal yesterday when she met with the students of Jabi Primary School, Kpadna, during the sensitisation programmes to mark the “16 days of activism against Gender-based violence”.
With the theme: “Uniting Boys/Men to Invest Against Gender-based Violence – 16 Days of Activism 2023” the event was sponsored by the French Embassy in Abuja.
She said the 16 days of activism is an annual global event where stakeholders/actors gather to combat gender-based violence against children.
Ogunleye-Bello said the essence of the programme is to engage boys in their tender age to speak out on what they go through in the environment where they live.
Added that the victims of GBV that are boys can also speak out and report to relevant bodies, such as NGOs, pastors, IMans, school teachers, police station nearest to them to report suck cases.That’s what we are viewing that if this 2003 Child right Act is been implemented into by others states governor’s and if the offenders are getting punishment by relevant authority.
She said, “childrens must be treated with care and respect as they remain the future of many generations and some of the provisions in the act that were passed 20 years ago are not more realistic with the happenings in the current Nigeria society. The CRA was passed in 2003. Some of the provisions of that act are not realistic any more. So it is important for us to start thinking of the review, even though the process will be long, but we need to start it.”
According to her, their is a child right Act 2003 that is undue for review can we review this Act to make a realistic we must do we can to make sure that this Act is immediately implemented by the states governors at 36 states including FCT. Also their is an mechanism technology as a tool to be use to fight for the right of the every child in the society. We should also ensuring that the offenders doesn’t go unpunished we must make sure that Justice is done to reduced this crimes in the country.
She said, “We need to review this law so that the CRA will be in line with the dynamics of the changes and reality in the Nigeria society, the reality of the time. This is another assignment that we have, which is very important to ensure that the rights of children and all the provisions of the CRA 2003 are implemented.”
“So, attention must be paid to their physical, psychological, developmental, and overall wellbeing.It is time to halt and reassess our children’s situations, refocus on better upbringing of our children and ensuring the families remain safety nets for children. While calling on the immediately accelerated review and implementation of child rights law in Nigeria that’ would guarantee the safety and development of childrens in our society general.”
FAME Foundation’s focus this year is on boys and men, aiming to break the chains and create safe spaces for survivors to speak out and seek support
and our mandate is to assist children everywhere to actualise their right to participation and other rights inherent in the child rights law.
She stressed that gender-based violence affects individuals irrespective of gender, thriving in silence fueled by societal norms and shame. While girls and women are often the primary targets, men can also be victims.
Also speaking, the Representative of the French Embassy, Project Officer, French Embassy Regis Ketty, thank the FAME Foundation team for organizing this flagship event and with whom we have been collaborating since 2019.
This training is part of the broader 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign (16 Days of Activism), an annual international movement to eliminate violence against women and girls around the world.
She said, gender-based violence is a human rights violation, often targeting women and girls. This is a global problem that has recently increased all over the world.
School-based gender-based violence (SRGBV) refers to any act or threat of sexual, physical or psychological violence occurring in and around schools. This violence affects girls and boys. We must leave no one behind and everyone has a role to play in this work of eradicating GBV.
It affects millions of children, families and communities in every country and transcends cultural, geographic and economic differences in societies.
In Nigeria, 44% of girls have experienced one or more forms of physical and sexual violence perpetrated by teachers and/or classmates.
This violence has considerable consequences on the physical, mental, sexual and emotional well-being of the child. Sexual harassment in schools can harm students educational opportunities.
The French Embassy is proud to support Fame Foundation in this project but also other NGOs across the country, particularly in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and North East States (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa).
This initiative is part of a broader campaign supported by French diplomacy to support the fight against gender-based violence.
“France has led sustained action at the European and international levels and calls on all States to ratify and implement the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and to ratify the Convention on Istanbul of the Council of Europe on preventing and combating violence against women.
In Nigeria, the French Embassy supports several development projects through its PISCCA program (Innovative Civil Society Projects and Coalition of Actors) or FSPI R in order to promote women’s rights and fight against GBV.”