Save the Children-Zambia has launched the Baseline Study Report on the National Child Protection System in Zambia.
The Report which was released in Lusaka today under the theme: ‘Protecting Children in Zambia from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation,’ revealed that many Zambian children have continued to face multiple protection problems.
Speaking during the launch, Sport, Youth and Child Development Minister, Kenneth Chipungu said Zambian children have continued to face challenges of alcohol and drug abuse, inadequate access to quality health, education and impact of disease.
Mr. Chipungu said these challenges have posed a great concern to the country and was limiting young people from realizing their potential.
He called for more investment in child survival, protection and development for the attainment of national development.
He however, stated that Government had remained fully committed to the improvement of children’s welfare in the country.
He said Government had included a chapter on children and youths in the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) and was also reviewing legislation pertaining to children to ensure maximum sentence for perpetrators of child violence.
Mr. Chipungu said this in a speech read on his behalf by his Deputy, Mundia Ndalamei.
And speaking earlier, Save the Children Deputy Country Director, Petronella Mayeya bemoaned lack of specific child protection policies in the country.
Ms. Mayeya said although the country had ratified many key international instruments on child protection and human rights, there were still gaps as these instruments have not been domesticated or turned into law.
She cited other problems as the conflict in laws between customary and the statutory law on issues like early marriages adding that more needed to be done to address this especially that children made about 54 percent of the country’s population.
The study was also conducted in two other countries in the region; South Africa and Swaziland.
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