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SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- UNICEF is engaged in a number of initiatives to strengthen the evidence base concerning the nature and scope of violence against children, and consolidate efforts for data collection and analysis, and for the development of research on violence against children, including on harmful practices. The forthcoming 2010 UNICEF report on parental child disciplinary practices in a range of low- and middle-income countries confirms the high prevalence of violent disciplinary methods, but also recognizes that this practice coexists with non-violent discipline; close to 9 in 10 children experience physical punishment and psychological aggression, with higher rates among boys, among children between 5 and 9 years of age and in households where mothers condone corporal punishment and domestic violence; conversely, violent discipline was less prevalent when caregivers were engaged in greater levels of educational and play activities with their children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Significant legal reforms have been introduced in recent years in different regions to prohibit violence against children. At present, some 25 countries have enacted laws to prohibit all forms of violence in all settings, and more than 20 others are working towards the same end. Several States have reinforced their legislation to address specific forms of violence, including violence in schools, trafficking and sexual exploitation, and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and early and forced marriage.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Around the globe, law reform for children's protection from violence is gaining momentum. When the United Nations study was finalized, only 16 countries had legislation prohibiting violence in all settings, including corporal punishment in the home. Currently, 29 countries have introduced such a comprehensive legal ban. In all regions, legislative reform initiatives are under way to achieve full prohibition, and in several other countries, new legislation is under review to prohibit violence in specific settings. In some cases, a monitoring system has been developed to advance implementation. In countries where harmful practices persist behind deeply entrenched traditions, the legislative process has provided opportunities to involve community and religious leaders, parliamentarians, professional associations, academic institutions and grass-roots organizations, and to engage communities concerned to promote change from within and consolidate prevention efforts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Disability is still perceived largely as a curse, a source of shame for the family and a misfortune for the community. At times, it is believed to be the result of witchcraft or possession by evil spirits; the child's liberation is thought to be achieved through starvation, exposure to extreme heat or cold or to fire, or severe beatings.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Collaboration with the special procedures of the Human Rights Council has been equally important in the promotion of useful sharing of information, the identification of good practices and cross-fertilization of experiences, allowing for the promotion of mutually supportive activities for violence prevention and elimination. In this regard, cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography has been of particular relevance, including in the development of the joint report on child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms requested by the Council.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Throughout the world, countless numbers of girls and boys fall victims to harmful practices, including female genital mutilation or cutting, early and forced marriage, degrading initiation rites, breast ironing, son preference, stoning, honour killings, forced feeding, witchcraft rituals and many other less-known forms of harmful practice. Often violent in nature, these practices compromise the development and education of the child, have serious and long-lasting health and psychological consequences, and may result in disability or death.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Despite the call made in the Study for all harmful practices to be prohibited by law, this is not the reality in many countries around the world. In some cases, general legislation on assault and bodily injury is applicable but rarely used or enforced, because of the social acceptance of those deeply entrenched practices. In other cases, different practices are compartmentalized in distinct pieces of legislation, hampering the consideration of commonalities and shared root causes and the promotion of a common holistic strategy. In countries with plural legal systems, where national legislation interplays with customary and religious law, legal interpretation and implementation face greater complexities, tensions and challenges that may seriously compromise children's best interests.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The consultation considered significant developments where law reform and enforcement, supported by awareness-raising and a widely participatory social mobilization process, have helped to address deeply rooted social conventions and promote the abandonment of harmful practices against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 20a
- Paragraph text
- [The outcomes of the expert consultation are set out in a thematic report, to be launched during the commemoration of the 2012 International Day of the Girl Child, and include the following overarching recommendations:] Legislation plays a crucial role in the social process of abandonment of harmful practices against girls and boys, and is a core dimension of States' accountability for the protection of children from violence; this includes the obligation to ensure harmonization of all legislation, including customary and religious laws, with international human rights standards, and to ensure the establishment of a legal definition of the child in compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 20b
- Paragraph text
- [The outcomes of the expert consultation are set out in a thematic report, to be launched during the commemoration of the 2012 International Day of the Girl Child, and include the following overarching recommendations:] National legislation should include a clear and comprehensive prohibition of all harmful practices, secure the protection of children from all forms of violence and remove any justification of such practices that may compromise the safeguard of the best interests of the child, including their promotion in the name of honour or tradition; in this regard, the intent to cause harm is not a prerequisite for the definition of violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 20c
- Paragraph text
- [The outcomes of the expert consultation are set out in a thematic report, to be launched during the commemoration of the 2012 International Day of the Girl Child, and include the following overarching recommendations:] Law reform is a long-term and ongoing process, necessary to recognize and safeguard children's rights, to fill protection gaps and address emerging practices and manifestations of violence; it needs to be supported by prevention and implementation efforts, including birth registration, awareness-raising, education and training, and mobilization of communities, including religious and local leaders and children, to promote dialogue and positive cultural values, enhance understanding about the detrimental impact of certain practices and support commitment by those concerned to the lasting abandonment of harmful attitudes and behaviour.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 20d
- Paragraph text
- [The outcomes of the expert consultation are set out in a thematic report, to be launched during the commemoration of the 2012 International Day of the Girl Child, and include the following overarching recommendations:] Sound data collection and analysis, and cross-country and cross-regional sharing of good practices in legislation and implementation are needed to gain a deeper understanding of, and help to address, the complex dimensions associated with social conventions, beliefs and practices, as well as to inform legislative, administrative, educational, social and other measures to promote the sustained abandonment of harmful practices against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Another significant gap revealed by the survey is the dearth of data on laws, policies and advocacy on the gender dimensions of violence and the legal protection of girls: 40 per cent of the respondents provide no information in that regard, and less than 30 per cent mention positive initiatives. Legislation remains a challenge, with less than half of the Governments indicating the enactment of a legal ban on harmful practices, which may fully or only partially cover female genital mutilation/cutting, child or forced marriage, witchcraft rituals, honour killings and other practices.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Less than 30 per cent of respondents indicate 18 as the minimum age for marriage, with younger ages and different thresholds for boys and girls prevalent in a large number of countries. This is an area to which the Special Representative has paid special attention, including through the consultation on children's protection from harmful practices (see paras. 17-20 above).
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- The year 2011 saw strengthened collaboration with faith-based organizations. Religious leaders were decisive and influential allies in the development of the Study and have remained key partners in the process of follow up, fostering dialogue, promoting change in practices that perpetuate violence against children, and encouraging the use of non-violent forms of discipline. To strengthen these efforts, the Special Representative developed a strategic partnership with the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, a global movement of religious leaders and communities of all faiths and secular organizations who are committed to the promotion of children's rights. The World Day is celebrated annually around 20 November, the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and is an opportunity for religious leaders and faith-based institutions to join hands with governments and inter-governmental organizations, civil society - including parents, teachers and young people - to promote the child's physical, social, psychological and spiritual development.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Around the world, countless numbers of girls and boys fall victim to harmful practices. Often violent in nature, these practices compromise the development and education of the child, have serious and long-lasting health and psychological consequences, and may result in disability or death. At the same time, positive experiences have led to the successful abandonment of these practices and a lasting commitment by concerned communities to prevent their occurrence and safeguard the protection of children's rights.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The consultation identified critical challenges, including the lack of legislation prohibiting harmful practices, inconsistencies in regulations, selective and ill-resourced implementation and compliance, social acceptance of these practices within communities, prejudices among personnel and weak capacity to address children's rights among law enforcement officials, the judiciary, traditional leaders and judges in customary and religious courts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 26a
- Paragraph text
- [The consultation highlighted the following issues:] The critical role of legislation, which constitutes a core dimension of States' accountability for the protection of children from violence and makes a decisive contribution to the abandonment of harmful practices against girls and boys by communities concerned;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 26b
- Paragraph text
- [The consultation highlighted the following issues:] The urgency of ensuring the harmonization of all legislation, including customary and religious laws, with international human rights standards; of introducing an explicit and comprehensive legal prohibition of all harmful practices; and of removing any justification of such practices that may compromise children's rights and best interests;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 26c
- Paragraph text
- [The consultation highlighted the following issues:] The need to invest in prevention and implementation efforts, including the development of a universal vital registration system, and the promotion of awareness-raising, education, training and mobilization of communities, including religious and local leaders and children. This involves promoting dialogue, enhancing understanding of the detrimental impact of harmful practices on children and supporting commitment by those concerned to the lasting abandonment of harmful attitudes and behaviour;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 26d
- Paragraph text
- [The consultation highlighted the following issues:] The importance of sound data and research, and the sharing of cross-country experiences and good practices in legislation and implementation to address the complex dimensions of social conventions, beliefs and practices, and inform legislative, administrative, educational, social and other measures to promote the prevention and sustained abandonment of harmful practices against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The study on harmful practices was released to mark the first anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child, observed on 11 October 2012. Jointly developed with Plan International, in cooperation with the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the African Union, it served as a reference with a sound perspective during the 2013 celebration of the Day of the African Child, devoted to the theme: "Eliminating harmful social and cultural practices affecting children: our collective responsibility". The study will frame additional regional initiatives to support the abandonment of harmful practices, including the consultation organized with the South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children (SAIEVAC) (an apex body of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)) in September 2013 in Bhutan.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Another significant gap revealed by the survey is the dearth of data on laws, policies and advocacy on the gender dimensions of violence and the legal protection of girls: 40 per cent of the respondents provide no information on this question and less than 30 per cent mention positive initiatives. Legislation in the area remains a challenge, with less than half of Governments indicating the enactment of a legal ban on harmful practices, which may fully or only partially cover female genital mutilation/cutting, child or forced marriage, witchcraft rituals, honour killings and other practices.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- Gender influences perceptions and attitudes towards violence, as well as the manner in which violence is perpetrated and experienced. Gender-based violence against girls includes differential access to food and services, domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, deprivation of inheritance or property and harmful practices, such as child marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting and honour killing. Gender-based violence also includes specific types of violence against men and boys, including bullying, fighting, and assault and gun crime.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Children with albinism are exposed to severe incidents of violence, mutilation and murder. At times they become the target of witchcraft accusations, leading to the use of their body parts for ritual purposes. Children who survive such attacks, are left with serious and long-lasting health and psychological consequences, and the development of their full potential is compromised for life.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- In many communities, children with disabilities and with albinism, children without parental care and specially gifted children are the target of witchcraft accusations. Surrounded by social exclusion, stigma, fear, deep isolation and ostracism, they are branded as witches, in itself a form of psychological violence, and exposed to physical attacks and other manifestations of violence, including starvation, abandonment, amputation of body parts, and death. This phenomenon cuts across all social lines and is being reported across regions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Misfortune and unexpected bad luck, sudden and incurable disease, or death often fuel the belief in witchcraft and the stigmatization of marginalized children. Traditional healers and local leaders may condone witchcraft accusations; and uninformed families may seek assistance to exorcise the child's "evil" spirits. Rituals are surrounded by secrecy and, by fear and superstition, remain hidden and concealed.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 41a
- Paragraph text
- [In some countries, important legislative initiatives have addressed violence against children with albinism and those accused of witchcraft, criminalizing harmful practices and issuing protective measures to secure children's safety and protection. Legislation is, however, insufficient to change superstition and deeply rooted beliefs. To ensure the protection of these children, the Special Representative has called for a comprehensive strategy highlighting, the following measures:] Supporting the protective role of the family. Parents and members of the extended family play a central role in the care and protection of children and need to be sensitized and supported in their child-rearing responsibilities. To address the social and economic drivers of violence against children with albinism or accused of witchcraft, it is critical to provide basic social services of quality to families concerned, to promote child development, well-being and effective protection, and to prevent children's exposure to harm.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 41b
- Paragraph text
- [In some countries, important legislative initiatives have addressed violence against children with albinism and those accused of witchcraft, criminalizing harmful practices and issuing protective measures to secure children's safety and protection. Legislation is, however, insufficient to change superstition and deeply rooted beliefs. To ensure the protection of these children, the Special Representative has called for a comprehensive strategy highlighting, the following measures:] Empowering children to prevent and address violence. Marginalized children need to be supported as influential actors in the process of social change aimed at the abandonment of negative attitudes and behaviour against them. Education, information and awareness-raising are indispensable to provide children with the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence necessary to counter violence and discrimination.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 41f
- Paragraph text
- [In some countries, important legislative initiatives have addressed violence against children with albinism and those accused of witchcraft, criminalizing harmful practices and issuing protective measures to secure children's safety and protection. Legislation is, however, insufficient to change superstition and deeply rooted beliefs. To ensure the protection of these children, the Special Representative has called for a comprehensive strategy highlighting, the following measures:] There is a need to ensure the recovery and reintegration of child victims. This is critical and should be promoted in a nurturing environment that fosters children's health, self-respect and dignity, and supports the development of their full potential in life.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph