On the 24 - 25 May 2024, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in collaboration with the Media Network on Child Rights and Development held a workshop in Lusaka, Zambia. This workshop, the third of its kind following previous workshops in Malawi and Kenya, focused on “Promoting Child Participation in Development Frameworks in Africa” and to established the African base of the Global Campus for Human Rights, Child Leadership Team (GC-CLT).
The workshop was attended by government officials, civic society organisations (CSOs) and children.
The primary goal of the workshop was to equip stakeholders with the knowledge and tools to effectively include children in development agendas at national, regional and global levels. Guided by the Study on Child Participation in Development Frameworks in Africa the workshop aimed to create a more inclusive environment where children’s voices are heard and considered throughout the development process. By raising awareness and sharing best practices, the workshop sought to foster more sustainable and successful outcomes for all.
On the first day of the workshop, the Minister of Community Development and Social Services’ keynote address, delivered by the Director for Child Development, Mrs Beatrice Muyambago, emphasised the importance of child participation. She said that children have the right to express their views and have those views taken seriously and they must be afforded safe spaces to express themselves. She further added that the Government of Zambia has a child participation guideline which the Government implements during its engagement with children. The address was followed by CSOs’ presentations where they shared experiences of their engagements with children, highlighting their efforts to enhance effective child participation beyond mere tokenism. Mr Caster Mulamfu from the Directorate of Early Childhood Education spotlighted the initiatives undertaken by the government to strengthen inclusive early childhood education in Zambia.
The second day was dedicated children. This day had two child-led panels – the first on education in Zambia how they experience it and would like it to evolve and the second panel was on general children’s rights issues in Zambia. Broadly, they shared their views on the achievements and challenges of the child participation framework in Zambia and proposed various solutions to enhance child participation. By involving children to lead the discussions, the aim was to give the children a space to express their views on the state of governance and promotion and protection of children’s rights in Zambia.
The workshop concluded with final remarks from the Mrs Muyambago, Mr. Mulamfu and the vote of thanks one of the children Ms. Mercy Mapili a Member of the GC CLT – Zambia.
For more information, please contact:
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
Tel +27 (0) 12 420 3587
elvis.fokala@up.ac.za
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
Tel +27 (0) 12 420 3587
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