By: Barclay Karnley
MONROVIA: The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and UNICEF on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, held its first Global Ministerial conference on ending Violence Against Children to protect them from harm and give them the space and opportunity to develop and lead the Country forward.
The Global Ministerial conference will also address the cycle of violence, poverty, and deprivation and violence Liberian Children are trapped within.
Violence against children, especially girls, is rampant, including rape, abuse, harassment, and exploitation.
It is reported by UNICEF that in 2015, 89 percent of reported rape survivors were children, with 39 percent 12 years or younger.
Sexual harassment in schools in the form of ‘sex for grades’ and ‘sex for school feed’ is Common.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection, Garmia S. Tokpa, said violence against children especial girls is alarming and needs concerted efforts to address them.
She, however, disclosed that significant gaps remain in monitoring progress in government allocations against ending violence against children’s commitments nationwide.
At the same time, she stressed that there is growing evidence that violence against children can be prevented with adequate investments in evidence-based strategies for prevention as part of comprehensive programming on Ending Violence Against Children.
Deputy Minister Tokpah meanwhile noted that ‘Violent discipline’ is also a widely accepted practice, while at least 31 per cent of children (2-14 years old) were engaged in some form of labor and Harmful cultural and traditional practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), are among the worst forms of violence practiced against children in Liberia.
When vulnerable children and adolescents come into conflict with the law, they are often exposed to even more violence and distress.
There is overwhelming evidence of how violence negatively affects the well-being of diverse children and prevents them from fully participating in society.
“One of the challenges to addressing violence against children remains the inadequate levels of investment and insufficient political will for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against children in their diversity. Government budgets are particularly important sources for these investments, which can improve the sustainability of efforts and advance the implementation of existing and renewed commitments made by Liberia,” she asserted.
Also speaking at the conference, the Country Office Representative of UNICEF Andrew Brooks stress the need for robust implementation and enforcement of perpetrators of Violence Against Children in Liberia. He meanwhile stresses the need for a compelling commitment from all sectors of the society to come up with positive results in addressing issues of violence against children. He however disclosed that several consultations have been with Civil Society Organizations and other Institutions both governmental and privates to come up with result that will positively address the issue of violence against Children
For his part World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Information Officer Dr. Moses Jeruroulon stress that a united and commitment force from all sectors of the society to address violence against children will make a positive impact in ending, female, genital mutilation, teenage marriage, domestic violence among others.
He is meanwhile recommending for a very strong legislation to protect Children against violence in the Country. According to him, the legislation will adequately respond to Children warfare and vulnerability in addressing and curtailing the menace.
Liberia is expected to participate in the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogota, Colombia 7-8 November 2024 to drive a transformative shift in ending Violence against Children.
The conference will be co-hosted by the Swedish government, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretariat-General on Violence against Children. The top-line objective of the Ministerial Conference is to shift the profile and prioritization of ending violence against
children, demonstrating that prevention is possible and generating new commitments to accelerate progress through 2030. Practically, the Conference will allow mandated ministries and key allies to share lessons learned around implementation and define ways to scale up proven strategies.
The conference will be an ambitious, inclusive, ‘positively disruptive’ Conference that shifts the policy positioning and expectation of action on violence against children and Proposed Ministerial Conference outcomes may include:
-Revitalize the country’s commitments to prevailing and ending violence against children.
-Announce renewed collective child protection member state-led initiative and the
Launch of a first-ever child/youth-led movement dedicated to child violence prevention.
The conference will also agree on an inter-governmentally negotiated Political Declaration (possibly calling for a Decade of Action) for every child and Host additional inclusive convening’s on topical issues to end violence against children.
As a part efforts to address the situation there will Consultative meeting with children of Liberia National Preparatory Session:
As a pre-requisite to the conference, member states are proposed to conceive a National Preparatory Session (NPS) to maximize the level and likelihood of commitment.
Expected outcome of the Conference in Colombia will include 1. To consider and capture the national VAC story: To achieve consensus amongst attendees on key areas of progress and priorities in scaling up evidence-based strategies to end violence against children, as informed by the Global Status Report.
To agree on an enhanced national commitment to VAC: To collectively explore and agree on a transformative commitment to VAC to be profiled at the Ministerial Conference.
Participants: To introduce and socialize the concept of a member State-led collective initiative to end violence against children, “Pathfinder 2.0.”
The identification of the national s story to be showcased at the Ministerial (evidencing
that t prevention is possible) and a short-listing of key actions necessary to scale up priority programmes in line with National Action Plans and INSPIRE
The session will enable exploration of Liberia’s appetite to work with other Pathfinder
governments around the announcement of a shared commitment to a collective
member-state-led initiative at the Ministerial Conference.
The NPS is convened by the senior government focal point. The senior Government focal point will establish the list of participants in concertation with WHO, UNICEF, and SRSG. Participation should include senior political representatives from education, health, justice, social welfare, interior, finance, and selected non-government partners.
