Spreading awareness key to eradicating child abuse
dubai — With zero tolerance towards child abuse, the UAE Government is raising awareness and making it increasingly easy for residents to report child abuse cases.
From launching educational programmes for parents, students and teachers, such as ‘Ikhder’ (you can), and setting up the child welfare hotline 116111, to bolstering moral education in public and private sector schools and strictly reinforcing the Wadeema Law the government has introduced many key programmes to protect children from all kinds of physical and psychological abuse.
Jameela Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, and Hessa Bu Humaid, Minister of Community Development, spoke to moderator Ahmed Alyammahi at the first session of the 5th Arab Regional Conference on the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.
The ministers admitted that there isn’t enough legislation in the region to protect the most vulnerable. “Legislations and laws need to be contemporary… They need to protect the most vulnerable and need to be up-to-date. The UAE is a modern nation and we are doing everything to eradicate this social scourge,” said Hessa Bu Humaid.
The effect of community on adolescent health and their social development, child protection in the region and guidelines for protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse were some of the hotly discussed subjects at the conference. Held under the patronage of Lt.-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the three-day conference hosted by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC), was opened on Monday.
The conference, organised under the theme of ‘From Legislation to Implementation’, will continue until November 22 and will focus on the latest advances in the field of child abuse and neglect, and also share best practices and multi-disciplinary approaches to the prevention and response to all forms of violence against children.
In her keynote speech, Dr Susan Bissel, director of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, Unicef, urged leaders to end violence against children. She added: “We aim to keep children safe and secure in a world that is very tumultuous.”
Dr Majid Al Eisa from ARABSPCAN said: “We’re delighted that the conference is being hosted on the same day as Universal Children’s Day, November 20. Protecting youth and children is a priority in Arab countries, and we must work in collaboration to achieve the millennium goals and make our world a safer place.”
The ministers also stated that the establishment of the Wadeema Law is only the beginning. Hessa said: “No one should ignore rights, and parents must know that they will be reprimanded for beating children. It is completely prohibited and with the introduction of the law, public and private schools in the UAE have become better equipped to spot cases of abuse and neglect.”
Steps against cyberbullying
Several issues plague young children in the UAE and the government has placed a special focus on curbing cyberbullying, revealed Jameela Al Muhairi.
She said: “Cyberbullying is indeed a widespread problem, and our role is to raise awareness and fasten procedures to protect children from being victims to online blackmailing.”
She added that the Ministry of Interior has organised direct training programmes for 20,000 students and trained 15,000 teachers in both private and public sectors. The programme called ‘Ikhder’, meaning ‘You Can’, is ongoing and the society continues to benefit from it. The programme also helps authority figures to spot if students are being bullied during video games.
The minister also praised Japan’s value education system and stated that the UAE is working hard to set up a robust value system in educational schools across the UAE.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
Legislations and laws need to be contemporary… They need to protect the most vulnerable and need to be up-to-date.” Hessa Bu Humaid, Minister of Community Development Minister of State for Public Education Cyberbullying is indeed a widespread problem, and our role is to raise awareness and fasten procedures to protect children.” Jameela Al Muhairi,