Stakeholders have called for the enforcement and implementation of laws against child trafficking, labour and violence, sexual abuse, killings of women and children and other issues of insecurity.
The call was made during the 2020 Stakeholders’ Conference on Child Trafficking and Labour organized by the Justice Development and Peace Commission, JDPC, Ibadan on the 24th and 25th of June 2020.
During the second day of the two-day programme, the Chairman, Network for the defence of Child’s Rights, Alhaji A.A. Labiran, who spoke on the effects of COVID-19 on child labour and the way forward, emphasized the need for the introduction of “more severe punishment” by the government against offenders.
He also called on all stakeholders to contribute their quota to the protection of all forms of child’s rights.
Another speaker at the event, Mrs. Janet Oyewunmi called on parents to be more proactive in the upbringing of children adding that women, especially, should teach their children about sexual education.
A communique issued by JPDC at the end of the conference stated that stakeholders, among other issues, revealed that “the problem of child exploitation, abuse and violence including rape is fast becoming a pandemic and may have a devastating effect on the society” noting that “child labour and all forms of exploitation of children result from family and societal neglect.”
It also stated that stakeholders at the “conference also agreed that there must be holistic approach with collective responses of all stakeholders and at all levels, including the family, community and the government.”
Stakeholders at the conference also made 13 recommendations to solve the issues raised.
Foremost among these recommendations, is the need “to facilitate the enforcement and implementation of legal framework against child trafficking, labour and violence, cases must be reported and followed through” and the ”sensitization and enlightenment on the content of relevant laws to protect children, women and everybody generally must reach everyone, including at the local levels.”
They also called for the ”inclusion of Childs rights law into the school curriculum as one of the compulsory textbooks is more than needed” and the “re-introduction of Children’s Parliament to enforce the content of Childs Rights Law of Oyo State 2006.”
