31st Day of the African Child: UNICEF, MINAS Discuss Child Abuse, Exploitation

The Centre Regional Delegation of Social Affairs, MINAS and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, on Tuesday, June 15, 2021 brought together past and serving junior parliamentarians, community leaders and representatives of sub-divisional councils from Mfoundi Division in the Centre Region. The gathering discussed how to better protect children against violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse in prelude to the celebration of the 31st Day of the African Child on June 16, 2021.  

The Cameroon theme for this year’s celebration is: “Protect each child against violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse: A priority for the Cameroon government.” While the African Union theme is: “30 years after adoption of the Charter: Let’s speed up the putting in place of Agenda 2040 for Africa worthy of its children.”

Addressing participants, Rachel Sylvie Edimo Mbappe, Centre Regional Delegate for Social Affairs, cited the World Health Organisation, WHO as reporting that violence against children refers to any form of physical and psychological maltreatment. This includes rape, sexual harassment, child labour, genital mutilation, early marriage, exploitation, etc. Edimo Mbappe expressed disappointment that many families do not expose child abuse cases in their midst, noting with dismay that violence is increasingly being perpetrated by children against other children.

In her lecture, Soppi Etame Adele epouse Ebongue, Social Affairs Divisional Delegate for Mfoundi, said violence can be self-inflicted, interpersonal, collective, socio-cultural, physical, sexual, verbal, psychological and economic. She disclosed that violence against children is caused by poverty, stress, urban challenges, racism, family problems, unemployment, war, poor town planning and lax educational systems. According to her, the consequences of violence against children include reclusiveness, lack of confidence, aggressiveness, delinquency, anxiety, depression, hyper-activity, apathy, suicidal thoughts, poor academic results, gluttony and loss of appetite.

Soppi Etame Adele attributed the recent surge in violence in our society to lack of coordination between different government departments, ignorance of the assistance offered by social workers, and silence and fear from relatives of victims. The lack of a culture of denouncing abuse, absence of social workers in some public structures, non-respect of laws and regulations, and poor funding of field activities, are also to blame, Etame Adele noted.

During the celebration, a representative of the children read out a s...