As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, the theme “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” rings louder than ever before. This year’s theme highlights the urgent need to prioritize investments in women and girls to drive meaningful progress towards gender equality and sustainable development.
The 7th Regional PSS Forum, under the theme “Mental Health in Context” took place at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Johannesburg from the 4th to 5th of October 2023. It was organized jointly with REPSSI, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, UNICEF ESARO, University of Pretoria and Africa Population and Health Research Centre.
Ending Child Marriage could save Uganda billions of dollars; it could lead to welfare benefits for the country for about $2.4 billion by 2030. By contrast, ending the practice will have a multiplier effect for Uganda since it has the highest rates of child marriage in sub- Saharan Africa.
While a home and family can be the primary setting where violence against children occurs, they can also be the most important sources of protection from violence, and of care and support when violence has occurred.
Many girls face considerable pressure to marry early and become mothers while they are still young. Child marriage is a painful reality for far too many girls in Uganda. Driven by the scourge of family poverty and norms that favor boys over girls, child marriage renders girls less likely to complete their education and more likely to experience gender-based violence.
Every child is at risk of Child Sexual Abuse but children with special needs are more vulnerable. Girls with special needs, in particular, are often at greater risk, both within and outside the home, of violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation.
Access to quality education has long been recognized as both a fundamental human right and as essential for reducing poverty, inequality and achieving other development goals
Joy for Children-Uganda organized capacity building workshop on effective and evidence Based Advocacy on elimination of child sexual abuse in Uganda.
This capacity building workshop was designed to increase advocacy knowledge about child sexual exploitation and abuse, including online exploitation .The training presented evidence-based strategies and practices for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse.
Parliamentarians are uniquely positioned to shape, advance and exercise a leadership role in establishing and implementing a robust legal and policy framework for preventing child sexual abuse and ensuring it is effectively enforced by relevant actors and institutions within their constituencies and beyond.
Education plays a critical role in breaking the cycle of poverty and violence. When girls are kept in school, they stand a better chance of growing into empowered women who transform their neighborhoods and nations. Education is one of the best ways to prevent child marriages and teenage pregnancy.
