Good laws for child protection ‘not enough’

Children’s advocate Ingrid Husselmann said having a good legal framework for child protection is not enough in Namibia and more needs to be done to properly implement child protection laws and make them effective.

Husselmann in an interview with Nampa on Saturday said child labour in Namibia is a reality and most cases remain unreported to relevant authorities.

“There are many other laws in Namibia aimed at protecting children from the harmful effects of child labour, but the reality is that simply having a great legal framework for child protection is not enough. Children must be educated on their rights, but more importantly, they must be taught to stand up for their rights and know where to go to enforce those rights,” she said.

Namibian communities, she added must report child labour when they become aware of it to relevant authorities responsible for child protection while offices/ministries and agencies must be properly funded and equipped to provide the best possible response to root out child labour.

Seven cases of child labour were recorded from 2015 to 2019, of which six are domestic child labour cases, and one for trafficking for child labour, Executive Director of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation, Bro- Mathew Shinguadja recently said.

“From 2015 to 2019, two cases of child labour were recorded at Divundu in Kavango East region while one case each was reported at Opuwo in Kunene region, Outapi in Omusati region, Eenhana in Ohangwena region, Nature in Kavango west and Etenderera in Kavango East region,” said Shinguadja.

Commenting on the effects of child labour, Clinical Psychologist Dr Shaun Whittaker said, it affects children’s emotional wellbeing as they are derived from their privileges such as playing with children of the same age.

These children, he said are forced into doing work that adults are supposed to do, it hurts them emotionally, and they are not physically and mentally strong to do domestic work. “In the long run, it could be that they will not grow up as normal children. These children could grow up with severe limitations and could even not cope in schools if they are enrolled for learning because labour can physically and emotionally affect them,” he said.