Women's Rights Watchdog Demands Urgent Action to Protect Girls
MASERU, Lesotho -- The international women's rights organization Equality Now has issued an urgent call for African governments to take immediate action to protect girls from gender-based violence, child marriage and lack of access to education, writes Winston Mwale.
Speaking at the 43rd Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child on Sunday, Equality Now raised several grave concerns requiring the committee's intervention.
"We are alarmed by the fast-developing situation in The Gambia, where attempts are being made to repeal the legal provisions within the Women's (Amendment) Act of 2015, which prohibit and criminalize FGM," the statement said.
"We urge this Committee to proactively engage the Government of The Gambia to protect the interests of the Gambian children."
The group also highlighted the recent tragic deaths of three girls aged 12 to 17 from female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone, where no law prohibiting FGM exists.
"We implore the Committee to call upon the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure justice in these cases; and to urgently pass a specific law prohibiting FGM accompanied by financial resources and an action plan," the statement read.
On child marriage, Equality Now pointed to "recent clawbacks to girls' rights" like the constitutional amendment in Somalia setting the age of maturity at 15.
"We call on the Committee to urge the Government of Somalia to review this provision and ensure that the Constitution explicitly prohibits marriage for children under the age of 18, without exceptions," they stated.
They also cited a case last month of a 12-year-old girl married to a 63-year-old priest in Ghana, urging the committee "to intervene in the Ghana case and impress on the Government to take urgent measures to rescue the young girl and prosecute the priest."
Regarding access to education, the group expressed concerns about Tanzania's lack of implementation of the committee's recommendations around allowing pregnant students to continue schooling.
"There is still a need to comprehensively review the education laws and policies to ensure all children attend school and are safe from schools related sexual and gender-based violence," the statement said.
Equality Now called for legal reforms across Africa to criminalize all forms of sexual violence against girls based on consent rather than force. They noted some countries have exceptionally low ages of consent to sex, like 11 in Nigeria.
The group also urged South Sudan to ratify the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, enshrine 18 as the minimum marriage age in its constitution, and prioritize laws on gender-based violence.
Additionally, they commended the recent African Union protocol on nationality rights and urged swift ratification.
"Equality Now remains committed to supporting the Committee in contributing to initiatives and efforts to implement The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and promote and protect children's rights in Africa and beyond," the statement concluded.
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