Southern African Children Demand Leaders' Action on Their Issues

Southern African Children Demand Leaders’ Action on Their Issues

Southern African children are demanding action from leaders on issues affecting them, including equal education, climate change, and protection from violence.

The children’s calls to action range from improving the quality of education to protecting children from violence and increasing understanding of climate change.

This was revealed when children and young people from Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe participated in a virtual gathering facilitated by UNICEF to discuss the issues that have the greatest impact on their lives.

The summit aimed to provide an opportunity for children to engage with their national leaders and work together to find solutions to safeguard and uphold the rights of every child.

Opportunities to Participate

Tafadzwa, a 17-year-old from Zimbabwe, expressed the importance of children being given the knowledge and opportunities to participate in debates and influence decisions that concern them.

“This week, we will call on our leaders to invest more in quality education, including climate change education, so that we can raise awareness in our communities and make our voices heard across Zimbabwe,” said Tafadzwa.

Paulus, a 16-year-old from Namibia, emphasized the need for inclusion and empowerment of children with disabilities.

He stated, “If we are to pride ourselves as members of a diverse nation, we need to ensure that children with disabilities are included and empowered to thrive in every aspect of their lives.”

Paulus called on the region’s leaders to invest more in quality education for children with disabilities so that they can fulfill their dreams and contribute to society.

Equal Education

The aim is to guarantee equal education for all children, including those with disabilities. While progress has been made in education over the past decade, the region still faces challenges.

From these discussions, they developed a series of calls to action that they will present to their countries’ Presidents at a regional summit in Walvis Bay, Namibia, on 18-19 November, in celebration of World Children’s Day on 20th November.

Nine out of ten children in Eastern and Southern Africa under the age of ten cannot read or understand a simple story. Additionally, young people aged 15-24 account for 60% of all unemployed Africans.

Data from U-Report polls and qualitative research among 9-17 year-olds in the four countries highlighted common concerns, including exclusion and discrimination against children with disabilities, low-quality education, high levels of violence against children, lack of access to reproductive health information, insufficient understanding of climate change, and high rates of teenage pregnancy.

Calls to Action

The regional virtual consultation is the culmination of a year-long series of national discussions held in the four countries during 2023. The children will present their calls to action to their leaders on Saturday, 18 November in Walvis Bay.

This will give the Presidents of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe an opportunity to include children’s views and recommendations in future policies and programs that directly impact the lives and future of the region’s children.

Lastly, UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. The organization aims to build a better world for every child, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work, visit their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.