Child protection is about looking after the development of children on a holistic level and is also about working together as a nation to ensure children are well fed and nurtured with proper love and care.
This is the message conveyed by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation permanent secretary Mr Govind Sami in light of the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (PCAN) campaign to be commemorated on Saturday November 19th.
Mr Sami said last year, the ministry had recorded 518 child protection cases out of which 63 cases were physical abuse cases, 30 emotional abuse cases and 114 of sexual abuse cases. Up until the end of June this year, the ministry has recorded a total of 275 child welfare cases and out of this, there are 45 cases of physical abuse, 26 cases of emotional abuse and 56 cases of sexual abuse cases.
“It is sad to note that in many of the violation cases the perpetrator is known to the victims and is often a close family member. The youngest victim of child abuse and neglect to date is 3 years,” Mr Sami said.
He said these statistics are alarming and calls for collaborative responsibility to ensure that children are given the best care, love and understanding.
“Child abuse will not happen if everyone works together to ensure that any form of abuse and neglect is not tolerated in homes, schools and communities. The ministry on its part is appealing to everyone to ensure that they report all cases of child abuse and neglect so that we can create a child-friendly environment,” he said.
Mr Sami said the ministry has already got into a Multi-Year Work Plan and is working together with other line ministries to ensure that child protection is reflected in their Annual Corporate Plans.
“As we observe PCAN campaign and International Day for the Rights of the Child, which falls on November 20th, I call upon everyone to join hands in ensuring that we commit ourselves in providing the best care for our children. The ministry alone cannot achieve this, it’s a joint responsibility of everyone in the society to ensure that our children become good citizens, good leaders to carry on the legacy of a peaceful Fiji,” Mr Sami reiterated.