Protection is not a GIFT is a Right - International Children´s Day
As the World marks another International Children's Day on June 1st, the international non-governmental organization World Vision regrets that the future of millions of children in Mozambique is still being held hostage by violence. In the first quarter of this year alone, at least 13 children were victims of protection incidents every day, says World Vision in Mozambique.
This is the reality portrayed in a report by World Vision’s partner Linha Fala Criança, an emergency public utility free-of-charge service through which complaints about violations of children's rights can be channeled.
According to the source, 40% of the reported cases reported are related to child marriage, sexual abuse, physical and psychological violence, and ill-treatment. World Vision-Mozambique is dismayed to note that a significant number of alleged perpetrators are people close to the victims, including family members.
As we mark June 1st, the day internationally dedicated to children under the contextualized theme "Protecting Children is Everyone's Duty," World Vision is calling for a continued redoubling of efforts so that actions can speak louder. Only then will Mozambique be able to consolidate the important gains made in recent years in promoting and defending children's rights.
World Vision would like to take this opportunity to once again express its deep concern about the situation in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, currently in the grip of armed conflict. The organization believes that exposing the plight of affecting children in that part of the country today and placing them at the center of the agenda is an obligation for everyone. World Vision recalls that children make up more than half of the population forced to leave their homes and areas of origin in Cabo Delgado.
World Vision believes that it is possible to dream and build a brighter future for children in Mozambique as long as we all commit ourselves to the work at hand. Safeguarding a future for children should not be seen as a present for them—it is their right!