{"id":3317,"date":"2019-12-12T07:11:54","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T07:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gracamacheltrust.org\/?p=3317"},"modified":"2026-01-23T09:05:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T07:05:52","slug":"african-child-policy-forum-reveals-child-sexual-exploitation-is-bad-it-steals-their-childhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/featured\/african-child-policy-forum-reveals-child-sexual-exploitation-is-bad-it-steals-their-childhood\/","title":{"rendered":"African Child Policy Forum reveals: child sexual exploitation is bad- it steals their childhood!"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Sexual violence and the exploitation of children represents our shortcomings as a society in our responsibility to protect\u00a0our children,”-<\/em> Gra\u00e7a Machel.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Child sexual exploitation is a form of sexual abuse that all of us must not turn a blind eye on. Sometimes, a child is abused by a person they trust. When a child is being sexually abused, they are given gifts that may come in form of money, gifts or food. Sometimes, children are tricked and groomed to believe that they are loved or are\u00a0 in a love relationship with their abuser. In my years as a \u00a0psychology student, I have come across so many published empirical based articles and books about the effects of sexual abuse on children and how this affects children as they grow. It goes without saying that what we experience as children plays a very big part on how we end up as adults. An abused child may show signs of trauma which may result into mental disorders and even substance abuse among other things.<\/p>\n

On 27th<\/sup> November, 2019, different partners \u00a0concerned with the welfare and protection of children met in Mozambique during the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) themed Sexual Exploitation of Children in Africa- A Silent Emergency<\/em> report launch and symposium where they reflected, discuss and looked into actionable plans to address sexual exploitation of children in Africa. \u00a0The report that was launched pointed at disturbing statistical evidence about the magnitude of this problem, South Africa showing one in every three children being at risk of sexual abuse before they will get to reach the age of 17.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Addressing symposium on child sexual exploitation in Africa: Dr Zelia Menete, Executive Director, FDC Mozambique; Dr Najat Maalla M\u2019jid, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on VAC; Mrs Gra\u00e7a Machel, Chair, International Board of Trustees, ACPF; Chair of the Board, Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust; Chair of the Board, FDC; H.E. Lucas Mangrasse, Vice-Minister of Gender, Children and Social Action, Mozambique; Dr. Assefa Bequele, PhD, Executive Director, ACPF.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

In her capacity as Board Chair of the ACPF, Mrs. Gra\u00e7a Machel was honoured to launch the report, and in her remarks, she said sexual violence against children is an unconcealed and extreme violation children\u2019s rights which also has life-time physical, mental, developmental and social consequences on children.<\/p>\n

She expressed her concerns about how online sexual exploitation is affecting children and called for caregivers to be more vigilant, \u201cof course, we cannot and should not take our children off of the digital platform; it is a useful source of information and one that matters to their lives. However, without well-informed supervision and child-safeguarding measures, the digital space has become and is likely to be increasingly dangerous to our children. We need to know better and act sooner than later\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n

Child sexual exploitation in travel and tourism was one of the other problems addressed especially now that Africa is becoming a new frontier for tourism both local and international it is equally confronted with the huge challenge of contending with criminals on the move and we need to put measure in place to safeguard children so that children are not sexually exploited by tourists.<\/p>\n

In her OpEd<\/a> title \u201cChild sexual exploitation in Africa is on the rise\u201d, while she called on governments to take a deeper look into this problem, Mrs. Machel highlighted that we cannot blame the growth in child sexual exploitation solely on digital and travel trends but on other social ills as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot blame the growth in child sexual exploitation solely on digital and travel trends. In more than four decades of working with children across the continent and beyond, I have seen time and time again the corrosive, insidious impact of poverty, inequality and discrimination driven by traditional patriarchal and cultural attitudes- Gra\u00e7a Machel.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bringing it back home, the Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust work towards ensuring that children are safe and contributes towards the reduction of child rights violations on the continent through effective utilization of various national, regional and continental mechanisms designed to protect children from rights violations.<\/p>\n

In a chat with Interim CEO of Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust, Dr. Shungu Gwarinda who was also present at the report launch and symposium, she commented on issues that are affecting children in South Africa and how the Trust is taking action through its advocacy work to protect children from being exposed to sexual exploitation. She said, \u201cpoverty, harmful tradition practices, violence and discrimination against children contribute to children sexual exploitation\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cViolations of children\u2019s rights remain common across our continent, with grinding poverty, harmful traditional practices, violence and discrimination against children being one of the main contributions to sexual exploitation and violations to children\u2019s rights. Sexual exploitation of children is a threat to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030 and the continent\u2019s own Agenda 2063, given the long-term effects on children and the population\u201d- Dr. Shungu Gwarinda.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

According to The African Report<\/a> on Violence Against Children, over 200\u00a0000 children are trafficked annually across borders in central and west Africa for exploitative labour[1]<\/a>. Africa Child Policy Forum reports that forms of sexual predation of children are increasing including child sex tourism, child pornography, over & above sexual violence in the home and communities. Every year, 3 million girls are at risk of genital cutting. Of the 41 countries world-wide with child marriage prevalence rates of 30% or more, 30 are in Africa[2]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Eben Badoe, African journal of emergency medicine, Vol 7, Supplement 2017 (pp S32 \u2013 S35) https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.afjem.2017.09.002<\/a><\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> African Child Policy Forum, 2014 http:\/\/africanchildforum.org\/files\/AfricanReprotVAC.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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