Ghana joins the rest of Africa to celebrate the day of the African child. They day was set aside by the then Organisation of the African Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU) to commemorate the 1976 massacre of school children in Soweto, south Africa.
The celebration is to bring into focus, issues that affect the effective development of children and their well being. It is no secret that since the Day was set aside in 1990, some amount of progress has been made regarding the four main pillars of children’s rights, namely survival, development, protection and participation.
A case in point is the issue of birth registration. Around the year 2000, less than twenty percent of children born in this country were registered at birth. The situation created problems for child planners in their attempt to compile vital statistics for child development. As the issue re-surfaced during the celebration of the Day of the African child, 2003 the Births and Deaths Registry together with other concerned partners pushed for an improvement. The intense campaign that followed led to an appreciable rise in birth registration. Now, the country is recording over 60% of registration of children within the first twelve months of their birth.
Similarly, the celebration of the day has been used to give a thrust to various campaigns to end violence against children and abuse in its various forms. It has provided a platform for effective advocacy. Without doubt, we have recorded an increase in enrolment rates in schools and an increase in the number of girls being enrolled as compared to the past.
These are all due to various government interventions pushed by advocacy to make government live up to its promise to priorities issues bordering in children. It is one of the main outcomes of the 1990 world Summit for Children. Unfortunately a cursory look try to streets will show that several children still face challenges as they try to eke out a living, and remain exposed to the vagaries of the weather. Some are engaged in commercial sexual exploitation.
Besides, inequality exists in the education received by some children in depressed communities in urban areas and the rural areas. As this year’s day of the African Child is celebrate under the theme AFRICA FIT FOR CHILDREN; CALL FOR ACCELERATED ACTION TOWARDS THEIR SURVIVAL, it is time for all segments of the society to examine the contribution they can make to make our country really fit for children.
The call for accelerated action is vital now more than ever because the country remains commited to meeting the Millennium Development Goals. These goals run in tandem with the World-Fit-for–Children-goals. If we have to make significant progress with the MDG’s, we must take a good look at the World–fit-for-Children-goals. Our trend of resource allocation should demonstrate our commitment to children.
Government certainly has a lion’s share of the responsibility but that does not take away our responsibility as citizens. Parents, teachers, social workers and even children all have a responsibility to collectively work in the interest of children. As a county, we boast of so many laws to protect children.
This is the time for enforcement. We can never run away from the fact that a world fit for children is a world fit for all. As former UN Secretary General Kofi Anna once stated, there is no task more important than building a world in which all of our children can grow up to realize their full potential in health, peace and dignity.
By: Kingsley Obeng-Kyereh
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