The Joining Forces Alliance (an alliance of the six largest child-focused international NGOs) has tasked the Parliament to make corporal punishment unlawful in Ugandan homes.
These say this will significantly contribute to achieving children’s rights protection and healthy development.
The Consortium argues that violence against children has lifelong impacts on their health and their well-being, families, communities, and nations at large.
The call is also part of the Hands for Good campaign implemented by Joining Forces organisations in close partnership with the Ministry for Gender, Labour and Social Development.
In 2017, the six largest child-focused global agencies – Child Fund; Plan; Save the Children; SOS Children’s Villages; Terre des Hommes; and World Vision – joined forces to use their collective power to secure child rights and end violence against children.
In Uganda, with support from the European Union, they are using the power of collective voice to call on parents, leaders and communities to end all forms of child violence. The nine-month campaign challenges parents and caregivers to use their Hands4Good.
Dragana Strinic, Chair of Joining Forces Alliance, noted that violence against children in homes is deep-rooted, widely spread, and rampant.
“Spare the rod and spoil the child is an often-quoted justification for the continued physical violence against children. However, this is far from the truth. The scientific fact is that violence against children can negatively affect cognitive development and result in educational and vocational underachievement. And this is just one of many negative consequences on children,” Dragana said.
According to the 2018 National Violence Against Children Survey, parents or adult relatives were the most common perpetrators of physical violence in children.
Reports indicate that 7 in 10 boys and 6 in 10 girls in Uganda have experienced physical violence in their childhood.
Dragana says that unfortunately, children most commonly do not seek help because they think it is their fault or does not even understand that physical violence is a problem.
Dragana says all children in Uganda should enjoy such a “loving and supportive” relationship with their parents, with no violence.
He called on the Government to enhance budgeting and implementation of the child protection mechanisms, especially strengthening measures of reporting, justice and law, addressing the cultural and social norms that contribute to the tolerance towards violence and empowerment of communities to respond and appreciate violence against children is everyone’s responsibility.