In spite international laws protecting the rights of children with disabilities, many still find themselves living through discrimination, violence and abuse every day in West Africa. This is according to a report released last month by Plan International, an organization advocating children’s rights across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, in the hope of putting child poverty to an end.
Plan International, in partnership with the University of Toronto, conducted a research to know how much attention has been given to children with disabilities in the areas they cover. Apparently, West African governments did little effort in following up the legal agreements they have made with regard to the inclusion of children with disabilities in their region. More particularly, it seems that they have not taken seriously the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that safeguards the rights of disadvantaged children. Thus, children with disabilities remain denied of their rights to education, protection, and other basic human rights. Somehow foreseeable, those who come from extremely poor families are the ones who suffer more.
Adama Coulibaly, Plan’s Regional Director for West Africa, acknowledged that girls are the most susceptible to physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect. Additionally, he said that all countries have failed to focus their attention on this matter.
Based on the result of the survey, the same social stigma, negative attitude and treatment that have persecuted children with disabilities for years continue to operate in the country. Instead of being given proper medication and care, these kids are thought of as “supernatural”, “bizarre”, or “demons”. Because of these, they are treated harshly without considering that they, too, are human.
The following are snippets from interviews with informants working closely with West African communities.
“In my community, children with cerebral palsy who cannot stand are called snakes because they lie on the ground. To eliminate such children, ceremonies are organised at the river, where the affected child is left to drown and it is said that the snake is gone,” a social worker from Togo imparted.
“Stories of abuse and neglect in homes, communities and in schools across Africa are common but not often verified. The majority of girls and boys with disabilities continue to be excluded from formal education and functions of social life. Very often the families are ashamed or believe the child has no ability to learn,” said Aidan Leavy, a Plan Disability Inclusion Working Group member.
Meanwhile, reports of infanticide and trading in body parts of children with disabilities came up in the study’s findings as well.
For these reasons, Plan published the said report entitled, “Outside the Circle,” in time for the first ever High Level meeting of the UN General Assembly on development and disability, which was anticipated to discuss the importance of wiping out discrimination of children with disabilities all over the world. And as expected, in the said High Level meeting, government leaders pledged cooperation on “ensur[ing] accessibility for and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of development and giving them due consideration in the emerging post-2015 UN development agenda.” (un.org)
Sources:
(a) http://www.trust.org/item/20130923140633-wdrlm/?source=hppartner
(b) http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45931&Cr=mdg&Cr1=
Humphrey Kariuki Ndegwa believes in equality, right to human rights and right to experience the beauty of life. West Africa may be featured here but children with disabilities who suffer abuse is present in every nation. For Mr. Ndegwa, circulating the information could greatly improve the circumstance.
Plan International, in partnership with the University of Toronto, conducted a research to know how much attention has been given to children with disabilities in the areas they cover. Apparently, West African governments did little effort in following up the legal agreements they have made with regard to the inclusion of children with disabilities in their region. More particularly, it seems that they have not taken seriously the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that safeguards the rights of disadvantaged children. Thus, children with disabilities remain denied of their rights to education, protection, and other basic human rights. Somehow foreseeable, those who come from extremely poor families are the ones who suffer more.
Adama Coulibaly, Plan’s Regional Director for West Africa, acknowledged that girls are the most susceptible to physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect. Additionally, he said that all countries have failed to focus their attention on this matter.
Based on the result of the survey, the same social stigma, negative attitude and treatment that have persecuted children with disabilities for years continue to operate in the country. Instead of being given proper medication and care, these kids are thought of as “supernatural”, “bizarre”, or “demons”. Because of these, they are treated harshly without considering that they, too, are human.
The following are snippets from interviews with informants working closely with West African communities.
“In my community, children with cerebral palsy who cannot stand are called snakes because they lie on the ground. To eliminate such children, ceremonies are organised at the river, where the affected child is left to drown and it is said that the snake is gone,” a social worker from Togo imparted.
“Stories of abuse and neglect in homes, communities and in schools across Africa are common but not often verified. The majority of girls and boys with disabilities continue to be excluded from formal education and functions of social life. Very often the families are ashamed or believe the child has no ability to learn,” said Aidan Leavy, a Plan Disability Inclusion Working Group member.
Meanwhile, reports of infanticide and trading in body parts of children with disabilities came up in the study’s findings as well.
For these reasons, Plan published the said report entitled, “Outside the Circle,” in time for the first ever High Level meeting of the UN General Assembly on development and disability, which was anticipated to discuss the importance of wiping out discrimination of children with disabilities all over the world. And as expected, in the said High Level meeting, government leaders pledged cooperation on “ensur[ing] accessibility for and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of development and giving them due consideration in the emerging post-2015 UN development agenda.” (un.org)
Sources:
(a) http://www.trust.org/item/20130923140633-wdrlm/?source=hppartner
(b) http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45931&Cr=mdg&Cr1=
Humphrey Kariuki Ndegwa believes in equality, right to human rights and right to experience the beauty of life. West Africa may be featured here but children with disabilities who suffer abuse is present in every nation. For Mr. Ndegwa, circulating the information could greatly improve the circumstance.