Violence once morest humans and children is often the result of a misinterpretation of African beliefs and customs, said yesterday, in Luanda, the president of the African Union’s Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child, Wilson Adão
In an interview with the press, on the sidelines of the first meeting between himself and the director of the National Children’s Institute (INAC), Paulo Tchiemba Kalesi, he said that, according to studies, it has never been an African practice to rape children, but rather to strive for conciliation, respect for dignity of others and the mutual principle of solidarity.
He highlighted that these are principles that the body he heads has been instilling in the States, as he believes that Angola will also practice them. According to Wilson Adão, at the moment, Africa is facing a very difficult phase in terms of child protection, as there is a decrease in the level of realization of children’s rights, which means there is a problem related to the economic, social and cultural rights of minors .
He mentioned that there are many children outside the education system, thousands of children affected by multidimensional poverty, many without parental care, in addition to the fact that many States are unable to realize the economic and social rights of children. “What also makes it difficult for children’s rights to be respected is the problem of political instability in many African States”, highlighted the president of the African Union Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child.
According to the official, in 2023 five coups d’état were identified in Africa. In terms of work, he said, three challenges have been faced, the first being the fight once morest multidimensional poverty, followed by traditional and customary practices that affect the dignity of the human person and children, in particular, and the third it is how to realize the economic and social rights of African children.
“We want each of us to be able to make our contribution to strengthening children’s rights”, he stressed. Wilson Adão made it known that the African Union launched, in 2021, a study on violence once morest children and, consequently, the next step is to disseminate this study, including in Portuguese. Subsequently, the interlocutor continued, work will be done on sharing the best practices in Africa in terms of protecting children who are victims of violence.
“Furthermore, we have been working with States, with the purpose of implementing the third article of the United Nations Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which condemns all acts or cultural practices that undermine the dignity of the human person. ”, he emphasized.
