International Child Helpline Day
Correspondent | Wednesday May 17, 2017 06:57
We make reference to the Bangkok Declaration, ratified by the General Assembly of Child helplines gathered in Bangkok (Thailand) on November 16, 2016 for the Eighth International Consultation of Child Helpline International.
Key facts
l Child helplines operating in 142 countries, uphold the child’s right to protection from violence.
l In 2015 child helplines answered nearly 20 million contacts from children and young people worldwide.
l One out of seven contacts concerns abuse and violence.
l Children in disaster areas and conflict zones are at special risk.
l Gender-based violence causes several forms of violence against children.
l Child helplines listen, counsel, refer, assist and provide other essential services to children in need.
Governments should:
l Ensure that every child in all countries has information about and access to high quality child helpline support so that children exposed to abuse and violence can be supported and responded to.
l Adopt appropriate legal provisions banning all forms of violence against children and providing for sufficient resources to bring violators to justice.
l Use the voices of children, including the data from child helplines, to further advance the implementation of children’s rights in national child protection.
l Implement target 16.2 of the SDG’s: “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children” in all settings, including homes and families, schools and institutions, in communities and public spaces.
We furthermore call upon governments as well as our partners in civil society, international agencies and the private sector, including telecoms and other industry partners, to:
l Recognise and communicate that no violence against children is ever justifiable;
l Support the sustainability of child helplines through providing adequate resources to ensure their ability to operate;
l Recognise child helplines’ unique capacity to bring the voices of children out in the public domain to emphasise the situation of children subject to violence.
Childline Botswana, as a member of I Child Helpline International is committed to helping children from escalating issues such as child neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, child trafficking and other social ills affecting them. Orphan and vulnerable children constitute 10.5% of the total population in Botswana, this makes up of 111,512 orphans and 3, 380 non-orphan but vulnerable children. Incidence of orphans and vulnerable children vary markedly across districts. Towns, cities as well as districts within close proximity to Gaborone have relatively low rates when compared with the rest of rural districts.
‘As we move forward steadily with the implementation of the sustainable development agenda, it is important that national governments and other relevant national, regional and global stakeholders support Child Helpline International. We must continue to listen carefully to children and act upon their experiences in order to strengthen national child-protection systems and create a world that truly fulfils its commitments to its youngest and most valuable citizens.’
Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children
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