WINDHOEK, June 17 — The Day of the African Child 2022 presents an opportunity to review the status of harmful practices affecting children in Namibia, the country’s Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Bernadette Jagger said Thursday.
This can be achieved through highlighting the issues they face in their daily lives and assessing where the country is in protecting and assisting children who are at risk of being victims of harmful cultural practices, Jagger said during a commemoration event of the Day.
According to Jagger, harmful practices affecting children in Namibia include social-cultural practices, beliefs and customs that continue to violate children’s rights across the country, hindering them from fully enjoying their fundamental rights as enshrined in the national, regional and international legal frameworks.
“In keeping with this year’s theme, Namibia launched the child marriage campaign which focuses on awareness and prevention of child marriage, customary or civil and that anyone under the age of 21 should have parental consent to marry,” Jagger said.
Namibia is busy implementing recommendations from a study conducted on child marriage and a survey on violence against children and youth, Jagger said, adding that the country has also promulgated the childcare protection Act number 15 of 2013 with the sole purpose of protecting children from harmful practices and exploitation.
The Day of the African Child is celebrated every year on June 16 and is a time for the world to reflect on the progress made toward children’s rights, as well as the barriers they continue to face. The Day this year was commemorated under the theme of “Eliminating harmful practices affecting children: progress on policy and practice since 2013.” (Xinhua)
