Unicef has, all these years, worked for the promotion, protection and assertion of children’s rights yet this vulnerable population continues to suffer all forms of abuse in the hands of family members and other predators in the community, and now, online.
All of the nation states that signed the International Children’s Rights believe that “all children have the right to be protected from violence, exploitation and abuse.
Yet, millions of children worldwide from all socio-economic backgrounds, across all ages, religions and cultures suffer violence, exploitation and abuse every day. Millions more are at risk.”
The setting up of a child protection mechanism alongside other protective measures in the city is expected to protect our children by making them conscious of their rights and how to protect themselves from any form of abuse.
Mayor Sara Duterte said this mechanism was put in place after peace and order council saw a rise in the number of sexual abuse cases in the city. Though we do not lack laws to protect children, they should be informed and educated on how to protect themselves and to know where to ask for assistance should they find themselves in a vulnerable situation, whether at home or in school.
With the Department of Education and the Talikala, a non government organization that assists women and children in difficult circumstances, the city hopes to protect the next generation from the trauma of all forms of abuse.
