The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has in a press statement on Monday called on member states to protect the rights of women and girls against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
In the statement, ECOWAS clearly condemned the rise in cases of SGBV especially against children, noting that there were daily reports of children, especially toddlers who in many cases are raped to death, and it described the trend as very disturbing and utterly unacceptable.
“This growing trend goes against international and regional legal texts including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the AfricanCharter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the ECOWAS Child Policy (2019-2030),” ECOWAS said in the statement.
ECOWAS also alluded that the Act of rape and Gender Based Violence also negates fundamental African norm and value system that places the accountability for the development and well-being of every child as the primary responsibility of every family and community.
ECOWAS mentioned that they collaborated with the Regional Child Protection
Working Group (RCPWG) and issued out a Joint Advisory on April 20, 2020 to
Member States calling for Governments to prioritize action and guidance to mainstream Child Protection in their Response to COVID-19 Pandemic and
Recovery Plans.
The Joint Advisory recommended that member states should take immediate action to ensure that Child-Friendly Reporting mechanisms such as Child Help lines and Hotlines function to enable child friendly reporting, counseling, and response. They also urged traditional, religious and opinion leaders at the national and community levels to mobilize people against all forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. ECOWAS also promised that it would be convening a Virtual meeting on the relevant National Institutions for its Member States and International Partners and Non State Actors to agree on a Joint Regional Action Plan against Gender-Based Violence with a special focus on Child Sexual Abuse.
“This is to galvanize immediate action across the ECOWAS region towards stampingout this dangerous trend and ensuring that every child is protected now and beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic,” the commission emphasized.
Through the statement the ECOWAS, with particular attention to the rights of children, reiterates its commitment to securing the rights and well-being of the citizens of its member states.
By George M.O. Williams
29/6/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7854