Our children, our hope

THE revelation that more than 80 per cent of children in Fiji were reported to have experienced either emotional or physical violence is cause for concern. We learn that more than 1300 cases were reported to the Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Ministry last year alone.

This was highlighted during a meeting between Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Minister Rosy Akbar and UNICEF Pacific Representative Jonathan Veitch last week.

Child protection, Mr Veitch said, was at the core of UNICEF’s work in Fiji.

UNICEF, he said, was committed to supporting the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation to redouble actions that ensure children in Fiji can grow up free from violence, neglect and exploitation.

There was also a commitment to support the ministry, to strengthen ongoing efforts to reach every child, even in the most remote locations.

In response, Ms Akbar reaffirmed government’s commitment to protecting the rights of children as per its commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Violence against children, according to UNICEF, significantly undermines the social and economic development of communities and nations.

The global economic costs resulting from physical, psychological and sexual violence against children, it noted, was estimated to be as high as $7 trillion which was roughly 8 per cent of global GDP annually.

Among key facts it listed on its website were:

● Some 15 million adolescent girls aged 15-19 had experienced forced sex in their lifetime;

● About 10 per cent of the world’s children were not protected from corporal punishment;

● Over 1 in 3 students aged 13-15 experienced bullying worldwide;

● approximately 1 in 4 children under the age of 5 – some 176 million – lived with a mother who was a victim of intimate partner violence; and

● Roughly 3 in 4 children between the ages of 2 and 4 – around 300 million – were regularly subjected to violent discipline by their caregivers.

What we are seeing is a scenario that will negatively impact our children’s development.

Understandably, victims may not fulfil their potential. Then there is the impact on the learning process which will have consequences in terms of education and employment prospects that pass through generations.

UNICEF outlines this in its assessment of how violence against children affects sustainable development.

On the homefront, as parents and guardians, we have our roles to play.

That will mean appreciating the needs of a child, and their right to education and so forth.

It will mean putting in place processes that will empower our children and ensure positive growth.

It will mean committing to building confidence in our children, nurturing and equipping them to grow into responsible adults, ready to face life.

But we must start somewhere, and discipline is a key factor!