Minister Urges Unity to Tackle Rising Child Abuse Cases
LILONGWE, Malawi— Malawi's Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Muonaoauza Sendeza, has called for a united front among political leaders, civil society organizations, chiefs and the media to address the escalating cases of child abuse in the country, writes Martin Kamlaike.
Sendeza made the appeal Wednesday in Lilongwe during the launch of the Continental Study Report on Children Without Parental Care in Africa, organized by SOS Children's Villages in partnership with other child rights groups.
The report revealed that approximately 35 million children in Africa lack parental care.
In Malawi, the 2022-2026 National Plan of Action for Vulnerable Children found that 17% of the country's 8.9 million children do not live with their biological parents, while 28% live with their biological mothers only and 2% live with their fathers only.
"We have, yes indeed laws, we have policies, but having these without implementation does not make these children rights to be you know active on the ground," Sendeza told reporters.
"So, to me and to all of us, we should make sure that the stakeholders, the NGOs, the political leaders, traditional leaders, and you the media, we should take this issue. We should unite in the fighting the abuse that are happening on the children."
The minister urged the public to protect children, citing the rise in cases as a result of children growing up without a family and without parental care.
Smart Namagonya, National Director for SOS Children's Villages in Malawi, said the report highlights alarming figures from Africa, where a large number of children lack parental care due to factors such as poverty, conflicts and broken families.
"We have got big cases in Malawi, and as Malawi a coalition of NGOs, we are now lobbying government, to say that government needs to take action," Namagonya stressed.
Among the actions the child rights groups are advocating for is the recognition and prioritization of the International Day of Families, celebrated annually on May 15.