Child rights advocates have welcomed the African Union’s adoption of a Common African Position on Ending Violence Against Children and a Model Law on Child Online Protection, saying the measures could strengthen legal protections for children across the continent.
The decisions, adopted during an African Union meeting in Namibia this week, establish a continental framework aimed at helping member states strengthen child protection laws, improve safeguarding systems and address violence against children both offline and online.
The Brave Movement, a global survivor-led advocacy organisation focused on ending childhood sexual violence, described the measures as an important step toward improving child protection across Africa.
“The Common Position on Ending Violence Against Children and the Model Law on Child Online Protection mark a major step forward in Africa’s collective commitment to protecting every child from violence, both offline and online,” Kanga Rasi, the organisation’s deputy director for campaigns and advocacy, said in a statement.
She urged African governments to translate the policy commitments into concrete action by adopting legal reforms, strengthening child protection systems and committing financial resources to implementation.
Rasi also called on governments to announce funded commitments at the second Ending Violence Against Children Ministerial Meeting scheduled for November in Manila.
The appeal comes amid growing concern over the prevalence of violence against children across Africa and the increasing risks associated with expanding internet access.
According to data cited by the Brave Movement, more than one in four girls and nearly one in four boys in sub-Saharan Africa experience sexual violence before the age of 18. Separate global estimates indicate that nearly 9% of girls and 8% of boys experience online sexual exploitation and abuse.
The African Union estimates that around 40% of Africans aged 15 to 24 now have access to the internet, increasing the need for stronger protections against online abuse as digital connectivity expands.
Advocates said the newly adopted policy instruments provide governments with a framework to address both physical and online violence against children while supporting national legal reforms and improved child protection systems.
The Brave Movement said implementation would be critical to ensuring the commitments lead to meaningful improvements in child safety, adding that governments should allocate adequate resources to prevent and respond to violence against children.
The organisation is a special initiative of Together for Girls and works with survivors, civil society organisations and policymakers to strengthen efforts to end childhood sexual violence worldwide.
Discover more from Newsroom Kenya
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
