by By Elijah Ugani – Calabar
The Wife of the cross river state governor who is also the President/Founder of Mediatrix Development Foundation, Dr. Linda Ayade has called on stakeholders, government, stakeholders and caregivers to set mechanisms in place to reduce sexual violence against children.
Ayade made the call yesterday, 16th June, on her verified Facebook account, Linda Ayade on the 2020 commemoration of the African Child.
“International Day of the African Child.
“#16June
On 16 June 1976 In Soweto, South Africa, thousands of black school children took to the streets to protest about the inferior quality of their education and to demand their right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of them were shot down; and in the two weeks of protest that followed, more than a hundred people were killed and more than a thousand injured.
“To honour their courage and in memory of those killed, in 1991 the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union) established the #Day of the African Child. The Day also draws attention to the lives of African children today.
“The theme for this year is #HumanitarianAction in Africa: Children’s Rights First.
We have always celebrated this day with children drawn from our communities with sensitization programs, health talks, outdoor games etc but this is not possible this year with the COVID 19 pandemic on us.
“Looking at this year’s event, we have been hit with several cases of child rape and the number is still on the rise which is saddening.
“We call on stakeholders, government agencies, community leaders, care givers to set mechanisms in place to reduce sexual violence against children.
“Parenting interventions and in-school Sexual violence prevention interventions are great ways to strengthen parenting skills as a way of reducing children’s risk to sexual violence to avoid potentially violent situations.
“#ProtectTheChildItIsTheirRight
#StopChildRape
#StopTheViolenceAgainstChildren
#Mediatrix”
