Children's Day: Stakeholders Call For Holistic Approach To Protect Child's Rights

By: Awajis Josiah-Chijindu 

May 27 of every year is a day set aside to celebrate the existence and importance of children.

The day specifically is a United Nations Children Fund UNICEF’s global day, which calls for action on the Rights of the Child and it is also set aside to create and enhance awareness of the protection of rights of the child. 

The United Nations convention on the rights of the child defines a child to be any person that is less than eighteen years with exception to countries whose age of adulthood is less than eighteen years.

And in Nigeria, the Child's Right Act of 2003 is the law that guarantees the rights of all children which include but not limited to the right to be given a name, either at the point of birth or any subsequent date as dictated by the culture of his parents or guardian.

Some of the child's rights include the  best state of physical, mental, spiritual health and immunization, rights to basic education, dignity and freedom from discrimination. 

This implies that every child has a right to respect and not be subjected to any physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse, neglect, or maltreatment including sexual harassment and torture, inhuman or degrading treatment.

Speaking on how to ensure the protection of the child from sexual abuse, National Coordinator, Center for basic rights protection and accountability, Prince Wiro, enjoined parents and caregivers to be more cautious of their environment, in order to protect children from sexual abuse.

On her part, Rivers State Coordinator, National Agency for the prohibition of trafficking in persons, NAPTIP, Mrs. Nwamaka Ikediashi noted that sensitization and creating awareness will go a long way in curbing child trafficking.

While the Director, Faecare Foundation, Ambassador Ndifreke Andre-Essien advised that children with disability should not be discriminated in any guise.

It is worthy of note that Child rights are human rights and with this year's theme tagged Listen to the future. Stand up for children’s rights, it calls to action for all to join hands together to protect the rights of a child to make the world a better place for all.