/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Ahead of the upcoming Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum (SVRI Forum 24) to be held in Cape Town this week, the children of South Africa expressed their concern that the NSP-GBVF in its current form excluded their needs entirely, and that adults, continued to hold discussions and take decisions on their behalf.

The SVRI Forum 24 is the world’s key research conference on violence against women, violence against children, and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality in low and middle-income countries, and is being held from the 21 – 25 October at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town, South Africa.
 
Representing children at the side event yesterday organised by the Department of Social Development and UNICEF themed: “addressing intersection between Violence Against Children and Violence Against Women”, member of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament and Western Cape Child Ambassador, Inathi Kente (17) made it clear that the needs and concerns of children were unique, and that they deserved to be focused on exclusively within the NSP-GBVF - the country’s blueprint document to address gender based violence and femicide.

He said that children in all the provinces during consultations about the NSP-GBVF decided that the document should have a separate pillar that focused on children’s issues exclusively.
 
In a powerful and considered address, Inathi bemoaned the fact that adults continued to exclude them from important decision making processes.

He highlighted the fact that even the side event, which sought to discuss the intersectionality between Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children, was held at a time when children were preparing for their exams and thus were constrained to participate in the  discussion.

He said that his colleague and Western Cape ambassador could not participate in the event as she was preparing for her matric examinations.

He himself had sacrificed his own preparations to represent the 21 million children of South Africa at the event.

They will not form part of the conference either. 

In a detailed and stinging critique of the NSP-GBVF, Inathi said that the current document used very strong language, and was not child friendly.

Going through each pillar and being clear that the message was from the children, he said: “the children said the NSP is not considerate of children, and there was no accountability where children’s issues are concerned given that children are not part of the portfolio committees where policies affecting their lives are considered.”

He said the NSP does not talk to boy or the male child, even though the country considered GBVF as not a gender biased issue.

He said children had no one to protect them, often left to defend themselves against their perpetrators.

“Children indicated that there are loopholes in the criminal justice system with a lot of corruption in the SAPS thus they cannot even go and report cases because they are asked to bring an adult along.” 
 
The NSP, Inathi said, referred more to violence against women, older persons, persons with disabilities and does not include children, which showed that the protection of children was not taken seriously.

He said the children called for adequate campaigns to educate communities on violence against children, with programmes and interventions that target boy children.

Responding to the issues raised by the children, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Sisisi Tolashe, committed to taking forward the issues of children as raised.

She said the issues raised by the children were genuine and must be considered for implementation as well as inclusion into the NSP-GBVF.“The Pillar 7 as advocated for in the Children’s report for inclusion in the NSP-GBVF, will ensure that violence against children receive the desired attention and the priority it deserves” said Minister Tolashe.

The SVRI Forum 24 starts today at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and will continue until Friday. 
 
 

Issued by Department of Social Development