By WDN-ZW
WDN Zimbabwe, a network of women leaders and gender champions joins the world in commemoration of the Day of the African Child 2024. The International Day of the African Child, also known as the Day of the African Child (DAC), has been celebrated on June 16 every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the OAU Organisation of African Unity. It honors those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 on that day. It also raises awareness of the continuing need for improvement of the education provided to African children. On June 16 every year governments, Non-Governmental Organisations, International Organisation’, and other stakeholders gather to commemorate the day, discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the full realization of the rights of children in Africa. For 2024, the theme for the Day of the African Child in 2024 is “Education for all children in Africa: the time is now”, aligning with the African Union’s Year of Education which focuses on building resilient education systems to ensure increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa.
UNICEF through the CHILDREN IN AFRICA report states that close to half of current populationare under 18, In Zimbabwe 46.9 per cent of the population are children, under the age of 18 and 61.4 per cent live in rural areas. (Zimbabwe 2022 Population and Housing Census report). Zimbabwe is a signatory and has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Zimbabwe NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY 2020-2025, vision is an empowered and thriving youths by 2023 and the policy goal is an empowered youth actively involved in national development. This presents an opportunity for all stakeholders to prioritise children and youth to ensure inclusion of their voice, perspectives and participation towards sustainable development.
WDN Zimbabwe is implementing a Gender Responsive Policy Making campaign to promote increased advocacy to ending harmful gender social norms affecting women’s participation in public life. Since 2021, a total of 90 Female and male gender champions were trained and are implementing various advocacy initiatives to promote gender responsive policy making in their communities, at their workplaces. And within the work of their organization programs. In commemoration of the Day of the African Child, WDN Zimbabwe calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to strengthen youth and children participation in governance processes to promote gender responsive policy making. This can be done through:
- Ensuring gender parity in leadership of child parliament and council system.
- Facilitating capacity development and technical support for child parliament and council to ensure gender responsive policy making
- Establishing platforms for regular engagement of child parliament and council representatives with Parliament of Zimbabwe, Local councils and cabinet.
- Incorporating child-friendly language and accessible materials in policy making processes.
- Ensuring education curriculum reforms, developing and implement inclusive curricula that challenge harmful social norms in schools as well as encouraging student-led initiatives and clubs promoting diversity and inclusion.
- Reviewing and updating curriculum for training teachers and staff on child rights, gender equality, and social inclusion.
- Foster a safe and supportive school environment at school with schools and learning facilities that are gender responsive.
- Engage with parents’ associations, school development committees and communities to promote positive social norms and act against harmful gender norms.
- Monitor and address any incidents of discrimination or social exclusion or social norms that affect gender responsiveness practices at school, in community and at home.
- Strengthen state and non-state stakeholder engagement and develop partnerships with organizations promoting child rights and social justice.
The annual commemoration of the Day of the African Child continues to be a call to action for us all to reflect on the state of rights for children and youth rights, challenges and gaps and an opportunity. To co create lasting solutions by working together in our diversity. Nothing for children and youth without them, meaningful participation and engagement is a catalyst for transformation of our society towards sustainable gender responsive policy making. Time is now to ensure children to participation and inclusion in governance and policy making, while also promoting inclusive and equitable learning environments that challenge harmful social norms.
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