STRENGTHENING THE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
STRENGTHENING THE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
Credit for cover photo: © UNICEF/UNI361764/Sobecki Acknowledgements The UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) commissioned Child Frontiers to develop a compendium of promising practices on ending harmful practices and violence against children across the region. This documentation was written by Emily Delap of Child Frontiers with significant contributions from UNICEF Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia country office staff. Thanks also go to the ESARO child protection team for their inputs under the leadership of Jean Francois Basse and Mona Aika. The publication was designed by hopeworks. May 2021
Summary
What is a child protection system?
COMPONENTS GOALS
• Legal and regulatory framework
x End all forms of violence against
• Effective governance structures,
children
including coordination mechanisms
• Prevention and response services • Physical violence and injury
• Minimum standards and oversight • Mental / emotional violence
• Human, financial and infrastructure • Sexual violence
resources • Abuse
• Mechanisms for child participation and
• Neglect
community engagement
• Data collection and monitoring • Exploitation
x Ensure that children grow-up in caring
and nurturing families
Why take a system strengthening approach
to child protection?
• To be able to respond to all the forms of violence that children experience.
• To ensure the engagement and coordination of a range of different actors / across sectors.
• To avoid a fragmented approach with potential for duplication and gaps.
System strengthening is endorsed by global policies and guidance on violence against children.
© UNICEF/UNI297235/Schermbrucker
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
3 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern Africa
How to take a system strengthening approach
Applying a system strengthening approach to end violence against children requires adopting a series
of interrelated strategies that together operationalize the core elements of the system. The relationship
between these strategies is outlined in the diagram below and described in greater detail beginning on
page 10. The different components or steps are not presented in strict chronological order or in order of
importance, as these may vary from country to country depending on the existing status of the system.
All apply during both normal periods and in humanitarian crises. Strong systems developed at normal
times will be better able to respond in conflict, disasters and global pandemics.
Carry out research and
consider entry points
Develop an over-arching
strategy
Contributions from multiple
actors
• Government — with key
responsibility
TAKE ACTION • CSOs, UN agencies, donors,
private sector
Develop / reform and • Children, families and
implement legislation communities
and policies
Finance
the system
Build the social
service workforce
Coordination bodies
Provide prevention
and response services
Engage with communities
and enable effective child Inputs from multiple
participation sectors
Monitor and reflect
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
4 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern Africa
Introduction
Rather than working only with particular groups of abused or exploited children, child protection system
strengthening involves making improvements to the entire system of support for all children across
all settings.1 This means, for example, developing evidence-based policies and services supported
by a strong workforce, adequate resources, and supportive social norms. UNICEF and other child
protection agencies have been promoting this approach for over two decades.2 Child protection system
strengthening is endorsed by UNICEF's latest strategic plan3 and global strategies to address violence
against children, and much work has been done to implement this approach.4
Despite widespread acceptance of the value of system strengthening, a recent evaluation shows that
more needs to be done before responses to violence against children are fully systematic.5 There is still a
tendency to work on single child protection issues without considering the impact on the broader system.6
Coordination between actors and work across sectors also remains problematic.7 There can be particular
challenges with system strengthening during emergencies, especially in relation to creating links to
existing community structures and government services.8
Efforts to encourage system strengthening are hindered by a lack of understanding among some
stakeholders of what child protection system strengthening is and why it is important.9
This paper aims to promote child protection
system strengthening to reduce violence
against children in Eastern and Southern
Africa. It explores the concept of child
protection system strengthening and
provides concrete examples from the
region of system strengthening in practice.
It is aimed at UNICEF country office staff,
government and others working in the
region.
© UNICEF/UNI327045/Ayene
© UNICEF/UNI326703/Tesfay
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
5 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern Africa
© UNICEF/UN0356677/Kanobana
What is child protection, and is it the same
as ending violence against children?
Child protection is commonly defined as preventing and responding to the violence, abuse, neglect and
exploitation of children.10 It refers to strategies and policies to enforce the protective rights covered by the
United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child.11
Violence against children can be defined as: "… all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse,
neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse."12
This term covers aspects of harm included in definitions of child protection and provides further detail of
the forms of violence that children may suffer. Notably, violence against children relates not just to the
physical injury most commonly associated with violence, but also to psychological damage, neglect and
exploitation.
According to UNICEF's theory of change on violence against children, ending violence involves prevention
and protecting and restoring children's physical, mental and social wellbeing when violence occurs.13 This
standpoint aligns with the goal of child protection. However, child protection rights extend beyond ending
violence; they also encompass areas such as the prevention of family separation and the provision of
appropriate alternative care, birth registration, and access to justice.
Ending violence and protecting children is essential. Ensuring children grow up in nurturing family
environments free from violence is widely acknowledged to be essential to enabling their healthy
development and wellbeing. Children need to be properly protected to reach their full potential. All have
the right to grow up free from violence, and particular efforts may need to be made to ensure the rights
of those groups who are excluded and discriminated against, such as girls, children with disabilities and
those from minority populations.14
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
6 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern Africa
What is child protection system
strengthening?
A child protection system is defined as: "formal and informal structures, functions and capacities that have
been assembled to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children."15
Child protection systems operate during both normal and emergency periods, and are comprised of the
following components:16
• A robust legal and regulatory framework, as well as specific policies related to child protection.
• Effective governance structures, including coordination across government departments, between
levels of decentralization and between formal and informal actors.
• A continuum of services (spanning prevention and response).
• Minimum standards and oversight (information, monitoring and accountability mechanisms).
• Human, financial and infrastructure resources.
• Mechanisms for child participation and community engagement.
• Robust data collection and monitoring systems.
Child protection systems involve a range of actors. Governments have primary responsibility for ensuring
the protection of children. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), UN agencies, donors, and the private sector
all provide services and resources to the system.17 Social workers are its backbone, without which the
system would fail. Children, parents, wider families and communities are both beneficiaries of the system
and contributors to it through child participation
and community engagement. In many cases,
the limited reach of government and CSOs
means that communities play a substantial role
in violence prevention and response.18 Part of
system strengthening involves ensuring that
states can meet their responsibilities to protect
children and can link effectively with community
members and structures that support the system.
A child protection system also includes inputs
from allied sectors, such as health, education,
justice and social protection.19 Often there is
considerable overlap between systems which
address violence against children and those
that address violence against women. System
strengthening requires coordinating interventions
across sectors.20 © UNICEF/UN0356676/Kanobana
Useful Resources
x ACPF et al. (2013) Strengthening Child Protection Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Call to Action. Joint inter-
agency statement.
x UNICEF, UNHCR, Save the Children and World Vision (2013) A Better Way to Protect ALL Children: The Theory
and Practice of Child Protection Systems, Conference Report
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
7 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern Africa
Why is child protection system
strengthening needed to end violence
against children?
There are three main arguments for taking a system strengthening approach to end violence against
children. First, children do not usually fit into neat categories according to the form of violence they have
experienced. Most vulnerable children face multiple types of abuse, neglect or exploitation simultaneously
or over the course of childhood.21 For example, violence in the home can force children onto the streets.
Those living on the streets often face sexual abuse, exploitation, physical harm and the psychological
damage of stigma and discrimination. They frequently come into contact with police and may be
detained.22 Strategies that just focus on one part of children's experience are unlikely to meet all of their
complex needs. Forms of vulnerability also change over time and flexible and responsive systems are
needed to meet emerging needs. For example, advances in technology have exposed more children to
online abuse.
Second, responses to violence require inputs from across a range of sectors.23 In the scenario described
above, the child living on the streets may require assistance from health workers to deal with sexual health
or early pregnancy; social workers to respond to the abuse and exploitation suffered and psychologists
to support mental health. They may also need access to social protection and justice. This range of
services is required for many other forms of violence, including online abuse and violence experienced
during emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.24 Only a coordinated system with effective case
management led by an agency with responsibility for child welfare can ensure that vulnerable children get
all of the help that they need. Systems should always aim to both prevent and respond to violence, with a
particular emphasis on prevention.
Third, responses to child protection are often
highly fragmented with huge potential for
duplication and gaps.25 This problem can be
especially pronounced during humanitarian
crises.26 Child protection is often de-prioritised
and underfunded, and commonly there is no
single government agency with oversight of
this area.27 As a result, provision comes from
a plethora of government agencies, CSOs and
community groups. A coordinated response
has the potential to avoid overlaps in provision,
increase efficiency and enhance coverage and
effectiveness. Strong coordination between
state and non-state actors is essential to this
effort.
In recognition of the value of system
strengthening, this approach is endorsed by
key global initiatives and guidance on violence
against children.
© UNICEF/UNI308055/Schermbrucker
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
8 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern Africa
These include:
• The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children,28 which uses INSPIRE, a package of seven
strategies to end violence against children;29
• UNICEF's Theory of Change on Violence Against Children, which outlines critical elements of
strategies to end violence,30 and
• Know Violence, an international learning initiative exploring the evidence on violence against children.31
All three of these initiatives have a focus on system strengthening. For example, UNICEF's theory of
change shows how a strong system is needed to achieve the goal of ending all violence against children.32
Both INSPIRE and Know Violence highlight the importance of core aspects of system strengthening, such
as coordinating work across sectors, and building the capacity of the workforce.33 The diagram below
shows how the elements of a child protection system relate to the INSPIRE framework.
Elements of a child protection system Relevant element of INSPIRE
A robust legal and regulatory framework, as well Strategy 1: Implementation and enforcement of
as specific policies related to child protection laws
Implementation consideration: Prepare national and
local government plans of action
Effective governance structures, including Cross-cutting activity 1: Multi-sectoral cooperation
coordination across government departments,
between levels of decentralization and between
formal and informal actors
A continuum of services (spanning prevention Strategy 2: Norms and values
and response) Strategy 3: Safe environments
Strategy 4: Parent and caregiver support
Strategy 5: Income and economic strengthening
Strategy 6: Response and support services
Strategy 7: Education and life skills
Minimum standards and oversight (information, Cross-cutting activity 2: Monitoring and evaluation
monitoring and accountability mechanisms)
Human, financial and infrastructure resources Implementation considerations: Estimate cost,
identify sources of financial support and develop
and manage human resources.
Mechanisms for child participation and Implementation consideration: Assess needs
community engagement
Robust data collection and monitoring system Cross-cutting activity 2: Monitoring and evaluation
Useful Resources
x UNICEF (2017) Preventing and responding to violence against children and adolescents. Theory of Change
x World Health Organisation (2016) INSPIRE - seven strategies to end violence against children
x Know violence in childhood (2017) Actions to end violence in childhood
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
9 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern Africa
How to use a system strengthening
approach to end violence against children
Ten strategies to systematically end violence against children
Applying a system strengthening approach to end violence against children requires adopting ten inter-
related strategies.34 These strategies operationalize the core elements of the system described above.
Carry out Develop an Establish Work across Develop/reform
research over-arching or support sectors and implement
and consider strategy coordination legislation and
strategic entry bodies policies
points
Build the Provide Engage with Finance the Establish
social service prevention communities system accountability
workforce and response and enable mechanisms,
services effective child monitor the
participation system, reflect
and adjust
The relationship between these strategies is outlined in the diagram below. The first step is to carry out
research and efforts to develop an over-arching strategy for strengthening the system. Steps 3 and 4
relate to the importance of coordination and cross-sectoral collaboration for the implementation of the
strategy. Steps 5 to 8 suggest the key areas of reform needed for system strengthening, and step 9 refers
to the mobilization of resources to ensure that these actions can be taken. Step 10 is about accountability
and monitoring the system. These steps are not presented in strict chronological order or in order of
importance, which may vary from country to country depending on the existing status of the system.
These strategies apply during both normal periods and in humanitarian crises, including during the current
COVID-19 pandemic. Strong systems developed at normal times will be better able to respond in conflict,
disasters and global pandemics. Too often during emergencies system strengthening is either neglected
or parallel systems are established which ignore and fail to strengthen existing systems.35
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
10 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaCarry out research and
consider entry points
Develop an over-arching
strategy
Contributions from multiple
actors
• Government — with key
responsibility
TAKE ACTION • CSOs, UN agencies, donors,
private sector
Develop / reform and • Children, families and
implement legislation communities
and policies
Finance
the system
Build the social
service workforce
Coordination bodies
Provide prevention
and response services
Engage with communities
and enable effective child Inputs from multiple
participation sectors
Monitor and reflect
Useful Resources
x ACPF et al. (2013) Strengthening Child Protection Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Call to Action. Joint inter-
agency statement.
x UNICEF (2018) Strengthening child protection systems: Evaluation of UNICEF strategies and programme
performance
x Save the Children (2019) Strengthening child protection systems: Guidance for country offices
x UNICEF and UNHCR (2018) Bridging the humanitarian divide for refugee children in Eastern Africa and the Great
Lakes region
x The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (2016) Adapting to learn, learning to adapt: Overview of
and considerations for child protection system strengthening in emergencies
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
11 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaCarry out research and
consider strategic entry
points
Child protection systems are complex, and it is not possible to enhance the entire system at once.
Strategic entry points must be identified that will lead to maximum benefits for children and act as a
catalyst for wider reform. Data are crucial here, using findings from prevalence surveys on violence against
children, investigations of particular child protection violations, and the analysis of regular administrative
data, including information collected through case management.36 Mapping of the child protection system
is needed to reveal promising practices and gaps in regulations, workforce staffing and skills, service
provision, and budget allocations.37 (Budget and expenditure analysis is discussed in more detail below).
Mapping must include all aspects of the system; both the formal services offered by government and
CSOs, and the roles played by children, families, communities, religious institutions and customary courts.
Mapping should also explore the linkages between aspects of the system.38 In research and mapping, it is
essential to consider child protection risk and response during both normal and emergency situations.39
Over the past decade, many countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region have carried out surveys
on violence against children. The examples included in Box 1 below show how these data have led to a
range of strategic entry points.
Box 1: The impact of violence against children surveys (VACS)40
• Tanzania’s VACS found that one in three girls and one in seven boys experienced sexual
violence before the age of 18. This survey was a wake-up call for politicians. It started a
process that led to costed National Plans of Action on violence against women and children
for mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar (see Box 3).41
• In Kenya, VACS results were used to strengthen parenting training and sexual violence
prevention in families, scale-up rape services and create a national sexual violence monitoring
and evaluation framework.
• Eswatini used VACS findings as an impetus for new legislation on intimate partner violence
and sexual offences and established child-friendly courts.
• In Malawi, VACS data spurred governments to increase investments in parenting programmes
and life skills training and led to policies to address harmful gender norms.
• Data from the Zimbabwe VACS informed guidance on the management of sexual abuse
and violence, including medical, legal, and psycho-social service provision. VACS data also
provided a starting point for an empowerment framework for girls.
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
12 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaSome countries in the region have chosen to focus on particular issues as a basis for system
strengthening. This approach can enable effective engagement with stakeholders and garner political
support and funding.42 It also acknowledges that not all children have the same priorities and allows the
needs of especially vulnerable groups to be met.43 However, this approach has the potential to create
competition between issues, and to result in the creation of sub-systems or a system which is specialized
in just one area of child protection.44 To avoid these pitfalls, it is important to consider how work on single
issues fits into the process for wider system change and use this work to instigate change for the benefit
of all children. Box 2 provides an example from Rwanda, where care reform was used as an entry point to
strengthen the child protection system.
Another dilemma in terms of strategic
entry points is the degree to which
system strengthening focuses
on ‘upstream’ work with national
governments or ‘downstream’
approaches with sub-national
governments or community structures.
UNICEF’s remit means that it works
primarily with governments. Such
engagement is at the core of system
strengthening as governments hold
ultimate responsibility for children’s rights.
However, work with communities is also
important, particularly whilst government ©UNICEF/UNI326161/Otien
systems are being established.45
Box 2: Care as an entry point for system strengthening in Rwanda46
Strong government commitment to care reform in Rwanda has provided a crucial opportunity for
reducing violence against children. This commitment came from a belief in the value of the family,
a survey highlighting the large number of children in institutional care, and the piloting of the closure
of one facility, which demonstrated that the reintegration of children was possible. Care reform has
led to over 3000 children returning to their families and the establishment of foster care. Perhaps
more importantly, it has also enhanced the entire child protection system.
As part of the care reform programme, professional social work was established in Rwanda for the
first time. A cadre of around 30,000 community volunteers was also strengthened to assist children
and families. Both professionals and volunteers now monitor and support vulnerable children in
communities, regardless of whether they have been in institutional care. The care reform process
was used to build the National Child Development Agency, again with wider ramifications for all
children in Rwanda. Finally, former institutions have been transformed into centres for community
outreach, providing early childhood development, counselling and income-generating support to
vulnerable families. This new service provision protects a far broader group of boys and girls than
those who lived in residential care.
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
13 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaDevelop an overarching
strategy
Having an effective and costed overarching government-led strategy on child protection/ending violence
against children is highly beneficial for system strengthening. Such a strategy helps to ensure that all
of the elements of the system are working together towards common goals.47 It minimizes the risk of
duplication of efforts and creates a clear framework for measuring progress.48 An overarching strategy
should be used to articulate the components, nature and purpose of the child protection system. This is
important because government and others often struggle to envision a child protection system and may
have different ideas about what constitutes its critical components.49 The strategy should seek to create a
child protection system which can end violence against children in both normal times and during conflict,
disasters and pandemics.
Experience suggests that whilst the strategy must be government-led and owned, other key stakeholders
should be involved to ensure relevance and ownership.50 Having such a strategy in place helps UNICEF
country offices, other UN agencies, and CSOs more clearly consider and align their contributions.
National action plans to end violence against children are a form of over-arching strategy. Other options
include a broader child protection strategy, including child protection in a children’s act or integrating child
protection into national development plans. National action plans on violence have been developed in
several countries in the region, including Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya.51 Many of these countries have
become so-called 'Pathfinder countries' as part of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children
and have received additional support in strategy development.52 Typically, national action plans include
sections on the following.
• An analysis of forms of violence against children and of progress and gaps in addressing this violence.
• Principles and approaches.
• Goals and outcomes.
• A costed action plan.
• Roles of stakeholders, including accountability to achieve goals.
• Details of a coordination body to manage the implementation of the strategy.
• Indicators of success and strategies for monitoring progress.
Countries such as Tanzania have found it to be effective to merge national plans of action on violence
against children with strategies to end violence against women, thus helping to avoid duplication of
efforts.
Recent evaluations of UNICEF's global work on child protection system strengthening suggest that it is
vital to recognise the investment and time needed for system change.53 This means that whilst national
strategies must be ambitious and aim to end violence against children, UNICEF and others should be
realistic in terms of what they can achieve in a given timeframe in low resource settings.
Box 3 provides the example of Tanzania's National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and
Children.54
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
14 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaBox 3: Tanzania's National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and
Children.55
Tanzania was one of the first countries to conduct a national survey on violence against children
in 2009, which was followed by studies on the social welfare workforce and institutional capacity
related to child protection. To fully understand the child protection system, the system was also
mapped at the local level across several districts. Evidence on the extent of violence in the country
generated significant interest in strengthening the child protection system from the government.
This eventually led to the development of eight strategies and coordination bodies that each
responded to particular forms of violence against women and children, such as child marriage.
However, analysis of these strategies found that they led to a fragmented response, often with
a high level of duplication, because they operated independently of each other. Consequently, in
2016, the eight strategies were consolidated into one overarching framework – the National Plan of
Action – with a goal of ensuring all women and children are free from all forms of violence.
The National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children was developed
through extensive consultations with stakeholders who reflected on lessons learnt from global
guidance and violence prevention and response programmes in Tanzania. This process led to
the identification of 18 issues specific to the Tanzanian context, which were organised into eight
thematic areas, aligned with the Inspire framework.56 Activities were then developed and costed
against each thematic area, and indicators for measuring progress were produced. The National
Plan of Action focuses on both women and children, which helped ensure broader buy-in and
synergies in addressing these two overlapping issues.57
As outlined in the introduction to the National Plan of Action:
"For Tanzania, the [National Plan of Action] represents a strategic shift in thinking about how
Tanzania will address the problem of violence against women and children. Instead of focusing
on interventions that are issue-based, Tanzania will now focus on building systems that both
prevent violence against women and children in all its forms and respond to the needs of victims/
survivors."58
© UNICEF/UNI94733/Noorani
© UNICEF/UNI94723/Noorani
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
15 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaEstablish or support
coordination bodies
A strong child protection system requires effective coordination mechanisms.59 These should bring
together those working to end violence against children across all sectors and at multiple levels, including
children and communities.60 Coordination is important during emergencies when there is often a rapid
roll-out of a complex array of services, with multiple new actors involved in service provision.61 Ideally,
coordination strategies used during emergencies will make use of and strengthen existing organising
bodies.62 Coordination relies on trust and cooperation and begins with consultations with key stakeholders
to understand perspectives is beneficial.63
Coordination bodies should operate
at the highest levels of government
to ensure that the importance of child
protection is acknowledged and that
there is consistency of response across
the country. These bodies should also
support collaboration at other levels
of government and include a range
of actors such as CSOs and donors.
Donors often play a crucial role in
shaping child protection systems,
especially in contexts where child
protection is underfunded and reliant
on external resources. Examples
of the function and members of © UNICEF/UN0467998/Kabuye
coordination bodies
operating at national,
district and community
levels are given in the
table below. Box 4
provides an example
of the coordination
mechanisms used in
Madagascar.
© UNICEF/UN0467999/Kabuye
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
16 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaLevel of the Example of functions of the Examples of members of the
coordination coordination mechanism coordination mechanism
mechanism
National • Establish a common vision for Policy makers working across a range of
strengthening the child protection/ sectors, including:
protection system and ending
violence against children • Child protection/social welfare
• Commission research • Social protection
• Identify priorities • Justice (including the police)
• Develop legislation, policies and • Health
guidance • Education
• Develop and finance over-arching • Finance
strategies, such as national action • Planning
plans, including M&E framework • CSO programme managers
• Monitor progress and hold key • UN/ donors
actors to account
District • Map service provision and ensure • District level officers working in
sufficient data for localized planning relevant ministries
• Develop referral pathways • District level CSO programme
• Identify local priorities managers
• Integrate child protection into • Judges
district level planning
• Pool and mobilize resources
• Coordinate stakeholders and
services
• Monitor progress and hold key
actors to account
• Coordinate responses to cases of
violence
Community • Coordinate responses to cases of • Social workers
violence • Police officers
• Monitor progress • Healthcare workers
• Teachers
• Community volunteers
• Community and religious leaders
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
17 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaBox 4: Coordinating actions to end violence against children in Madagascar64
UNICEF Madagascar has worked with the government to establish and strengthen the
National Child Protection Committee. The committee aims to coordinate all activities related
to child protection and sets the strategic direction of the response to violence against children.
Representatives of all of the core ministries sit on the committee, alongside several CSOs. Informal
sub-committees have also been formed on issues such as child marriage and online exploitation
which report back to the central committee. So far, the committee and sub-committees have
drafted policies, developed tools and helped to ensure that Madagascar adheres to global
standards.
UNICEF has also supported 164 local Child Protection Networks (CPNs) across ten regions of
the country. Forty-nine of these networks operate at the district level and the remainder at the
municipal level. These groupings bring together staff from government ministries of population,
justice, education, youth, and health, with the police, courts and CSOs to coordinate actions to
prevent, report and respond to cases of violence, exploitation and child marriage. All members of
the CPNs receive training on child rights and child protection. The networks prepare annual action
plans, and UNICEF supports the implementation of some activities. The CPNs respond to individual
reports of abuse or neglect and make referrals to legal services, health care or psychosocial
support. CPNs publicise a local helpline to support children to protect themselves from violence.65
In some districts, child protection networks hold regular case management meetings to ensure
follow up of reported cases.
© UNICEF/UN0438372/Ramasomanana
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
18 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaWork across sectors
The causes and consequences of violence against children are complex. Its drivers include poverty and
inequality, lack of access to education, social and gender norms, and conflict or other emergencies.66
Violence impacts on children's mental and physical health, education and earning potential.67 As a result,
preventing and responding to it requires collaboration between a range of different sectors. It is most
common for efforts to address violence to involve collaboration between social welfare, education,
health, justice, law enforcement and social protection actors. For example, the education sector can play
a strong role in violence reduction, both in terms of ending violence within schools and as an entry point
for reducing violence in other areas of children’s lives.68 As shown in Box 5, other sectors not usually
associated with child protection can also have a significant impact on reducing violence. Coordination
between sectors can be challenging, especially as agencies that do not have a specific child protection
remit often fail to recognise that they play a role in addressing violence.69 In some cases, a lack of child
protection expertise can actually exacerbate the trauma that children experience. Raising awareness about
the effects of violence on other aspects of child wellbeing and respectful and clear communication are
important to enhance inter-sectoral cooperation (see Box 5 for example).
Box 5: A joint programme between child protection and water and sanitation in
South Sudan70
Safety audits in South Sudan revealed that women and girls often experience violence whilst
accessing water and sanitation facilities. Child protection and water and sanitation (WASH) experts
joined forces to develop a programme that aimed to reduce violence and increase access to water
and sanitation. The programme included consultations with women and girls to design facilities
to make them safer, the careful monitoring of facilities, and the provision of group discussions
and health and literacy classes in women and child-friendly spaces. Violence outcomes were also
systematically monitored in WASH programming. A provisional evaluation of this programme found
that it improved access to WASH facilities and reduced violence.
"Success factors related to this project were linked
to the fact that GBV [Gender-Based Violence] staff
recognized the good work of WASH and focused
their support on very practical suggestions,
keeping the responsibility for the programme
within WASH (rather than shifting it to the GBV
team). The GBV team also focused on the fact
that WASH were making their own programming
better, never using 'mainstreaming' language, but
talking about enhancing dignity, privacy and safety
of WASH projects, and using language which was
familiar to WASH cluster colleagues."71
© UNICEF/UN0159472/Meyer
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
19 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaDevelop / reform and
implement legislation and
policies
Policies signal government vision and expectations whilst laws provide a regulatory framework which
is legally binding. Laws and policies need to be accompanied by regulations, standards and guidance
which support implementation.72 The overarching strategy described above is a policy which guides the
response to violence against children. However, other policies, legislation and regulations are also needed.
Laws and policies should be culturally and contextually appropriate rather than imported from other
countries without adaptation. 'Home-grown' approaches increase relevance and adherence.73 For laws
and policies to be applied, sufficient budget must be allocated, and effective monitoring mechanisms put
in place.74
Customary law needs to be considered alongside the laws created by governments. These non-statutory
laws can be highly influential, particularly in relation to care and violence within the family.75 Customary
laws which damage child rights must be challenged, and customary laws should not be used to govern
criminal violations such as sexual violence.76 Changes to government and customary law often go hand in
hand with norm change; norms can shape and be shaped by laws and policies.77 Evaluations suggest that
whilst laws and policies are important for ensuring a consistent and government-owned approach, system
strengthening strategies frequently place excessive focus on legislative change.78 Government agencies
often lack the capacity to enforce laws or implement policies, and communities do not always support
legislation, particularly when it impinges on family life, customary practices or religious values.79 This
means that any action to change policies must be balanced by investments in other parts of the system,
including workforce capacity building, social norm change and work with communities. The diagram
below shows how effective laws and policies are impacted by other aspects of the child protection
system.
Capacity of frontline workers
Budget to implement and enforce Guidance and
allocations action plans
Cultural and
contextual Effective laws and policies Monitoring
relevance
Alignment with Coordination
social norms bodies
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
20 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaStrengthen the social
service workforce
The social service workforce can be defined as: "Paid and unpaid, governmental and non-government
professionals and para-professionals, working to ensure the healthy development and wellbeing of
children and families."80
This workforce forms the backbone of any child protection system. Social workers support families
and children, create linkages between the state and communities, coordinate responses from different
sectors, enforce laws, implement policies, and deliver services. They are mandated to make and support
decisions about the best interests of children which can affect their wellbeing throughout their lives.81
Without this workforce, most aspects of the system would fail.82
"No system can function effectively without the individuals who make that system come to life."83
Social service workforce strengthening is an area where UNICEF has placed particular emphasis in
Africa and globally.84 All UNICEF country offices working on child protection are encouraged to support
workforce strengthening as it is such a crucial part of the system.85 This is an area where far more
government investment and support is needed in Africa, where there are often extremely low numbers of
social service workers who cannot reach even a fraction of the vulnerable children and families in need.86
Social workforce strengthening should include the following:87
• Advocating for greater recognition of social work as a professional practice and academic
discipline dedicated to the protection and wellbeing of children and families.
• Assessing the workforce.
• Planning workforce strengthening and generating appropriate policies and legislation.
• Identifying the categories, roles and numbers of social services workers, including revisions
to job descriptions and clarity regarding appropriate caseloads.
• Establishing a governing body and considering registration and licensing requirements.
• Developing codes of ethics and standards of practice.
• Budgeting for workforce strengthening.
• The education and training of social workers, which should be competency-based, practical
and culturally relevant. Training should also be aligned with national educational priorities.
• Providing ongoing supports for recruitment and retention, including appropriate management
and supervision.
Emergencies can bring in new funding to child protection, providing a good opportunity for workforce
strengthening. When developing the workforce during crisis periods, it is vital to avoid creating a parallel
workforce that will disappear once the emergency is over. Instead, efforts should be made to build
permanent capacity within the country.88 Box 6 below offers an example of the importance of workforce
strengthening for addressing violence against children in Uganda.
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
21 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaBox 6: The role of the national government social welfare workforce in
supporting victims of violence in Uganda89
In Uganda, the Government’s social welfare workforce is under-resourced with insufficient
numbers of qualified social workers from district to community level. While there are full time
Probation and Social Welfare Officers placed at district level, there are no fully dedicated social
workers at lower levels who focus on prevention and response services.90 To address this
gap, in collaboration with UNICEF, government have placed 67 Social Welfare Officers at the
sub-county level in nine districts. This effort has been made to demonstrate the positive impact
of social workers on violence prevention and response. Social workers take part in child protection
coordination committees and refer cases identified at the community level through para-social
workers to the district level or to other justice, health and education service providers. They also
provide psycho-social support to victims and ensure cases are managed in line with national
standards. They carry out some case management in complex cases, including when children have
been subjected to sexual violence, are in conflict with the law or in need of care. Probation and
Social Welfare Officers also participate in Best Interest Determination (BID) panels that assess the
situation of individual refugee children.
Strengthening the government’s child protection workforce has helped build the capacity of
government social workers at the sub-national level to reach more children and women with
improved services. At the same time, evidence-based advocacy is being used to argue that
investing more in the government’s social welfare workforce will lead to improved services,
increased reporting and greater accountability from perpetrators.
Many UNICEF offices in
the region have worked to © UNICEF/UN0467983/Kabuye
support paraprofessionals and
community volunteers as part
of the workforce. The role of
these groups and individuals is
particularly important in contexts
where there are very few
professional social workers. Box
7 provides the example of the
Isibindi model in South Africa
and includes references to similar
programmes in Uganda, Rwanda,
Mozambique and Zambia. Both
paraprofessionals and unpaid
community volunteers need
proper training, mentoring and
support to safeguard children and
ensure they can make effective
contributions.
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
22 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaBox 7: The Isibindi model in South Africa91
Isibindi was established in 2005 by the National Association of Child and Youth Care Workers. The
programme trains community Child and Youth Care Workers (CYCWs) to deliver health, education,
child protection and economic strengthening support. Government has since agreed to fund the
programme across the country with a goal of recruiting 1.4 million CYCWs. UNICEF support
aspects of the programme in the Eastern Cape.
CYCWs are trained through 14 week-long training modules spread out over two years and receive
accreditation at the end of this period. New CYCWs are mentored by experienced CYCWs from
their community, a model that has proven successful because the veteran CYCWs bring field
expertise and share culture and languages.
CYCWs monitor and support vulnerable children and families in the community and provide
referrals to teachers, social workers, and health care workers. Assistance is delivered through
home visits and in 'safe parks,' spaces in the community where children can play, do homework,
receive meals and learn life skills.
Evaluations show that the Isibindi programme has led to violence reduction, increased community
cohesion and challenged harmful gender norms. Using CYCWs from the same impoverished
communities as vulnerable children and families ensures a strong understanding of the problems
being faced. It also enables employment generation; nearly 60 percent of CYCWs were
unemployed before joining the programme. CYCWs have successfully promoted inter-sectoral
cooperation, forging new linkages between service providers.
"We get the children who don't have food, and we refer them to social workers to get food parcels,
and we get the children that don't attend schools, and we advise those children to go to school and
attend, and we ask the [government social protection agencies] to give bursaries…"
- Child and youth care worker
South Africa is not the only country to use community volunteers as part of its workforce.
• Rwanda has a 'Friends of the Family' network of over 30,000 volunteers operating in all
villages in the country.92
• In Mozambique, the YouthPower Action project provides support to adolescents from a
network of CSO-supported volunteers.93
• A recent assessment of the use of paraprofessionals in Uganda found that they significantly
increased the workforce's capacity. However, there are concerns that the use of community
volunteers will lead to increased reporting of child maltreatment, and professional social
workers do not always have the resources required to respond.94 There are numerous
programmes in the country promoting community volunteers, who often perform similar roles
but with different job titles. The government is now establishing child wellbeing committees
to merge the various community volunteer schemes into one integrated body.95
• Box 9 provides a further example of the use of community volunteers in Zambia.
Useful Resources
x UNICEF and the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance (2019) Guidelines to strengthen the social service
workforce for child protection
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
23 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaProvide prevention and
response services
A range of services is needed to prevent and respond to violence against children, including the
following:96
• Household economic strengthening, often combined with other services through 'cash-plus'
interventions, such as adding parenting support to a cash transfer programme.
• Parenting and caregiver support through home visiting, caregiver support groups or parenting
programmes (for example the Sinovuyo model from South Africa).97
• Temporary alternative care and respite care.
• Family tracing and reintegration support.
• Legal services and diversion programmes.
• Mental and physical health services and support with drug or alcohol addiction.
• Access to safe schools and life skills training.98
• Community child protection groups, children's groups, and awareness raising.
• Child helplines such as the 116 number which is widely available and used in the region.
• Work with the private sector to address victims of exploitation.
• Case management and referral mechanisms (discussed in further detail below).
• Work to build on positive social norms and/or address those that are harmful.99
• Birth registration, vital for ensuring access to many services.
In identifying which services to develop, it is crucial to
begin with a mapping of provision, including the supports
provided by communities and existing government
structures. Enhancing what already exists is vital.100 As with
social workforce strengthening, services developed during
emergencies should build on the national child protection
system, with the aim of lasting long after the crisis is over.101
Particular attention should be given to prevention services,102
though this is an area where government and UNICEF often
struggle to develop a coherent approach.103 The provision of
services through 'one-stop' centres has proven to be effective
in some contexts as this model enables children and families
to access legal, health, social and other services in one place,
though these can be difficult to sustain beyond direct donor
funding.104 Box 8 shows the range of services supported
through Kenya's National Plan of Action on Violence Against
Children and provides an example of a one-stop centre. © UNICEF/UN0223968/Prinsloo
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
24 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaBox 8: Services to address violence against children in Kenya105
The 2019 Kenya VACS showed low levels of service provision in the country. Only a third of
females and a quarter of males who had experienced childhood sexual violence knew where to
seek help. Only 37 percent of the females and three percent of the males who knew where to
access support had sought assistance. Similarly, low numbers of children were aware of sources of
support and few sought help for physical violence. The Government of Kenya acknowledges that
there is an absence of a systematic multi-sectoral approach to service provision and inadequate
investment in the financial and human resources needed to run services. Many existing services
are also adult-focused and need to be refined or expanded to address the needs of children as well.
To rectify this situation, Kenya's National Prevention and Response Plan on Violence Against
Children aims to: "Improve access to quality health services, social services and justice for all
children who are at risk of or have experienced violence."
The plan calls for a range of services, including the following.
• Criminal justice services for child survivors and offenders of violence.
• Access to health services.
• Strengthened social services.
• Improved referral mechanisms.
• Helplines to report and respond to violence against children.
UNICEF has been helping the government to achieve goals related to service provision by
supporting various services. This help has included building the capacity of Child Protection
Centres, which offer a safe space for children to share their concerns and for parents to receive
information and support. These one-stop facilities provide legal aid, support for reintegration with
families, individual case management, counselling and referral to other services.
Case management is a key means of ensuring that vulnerable children and families get the services that
they need. Case management uses standardized guidance to support social workers in identifying needs,
making referrals to appropriate services, monitoring children and families, and keeping effective records.106
It can involve statutory case management led by a social worker or other officials, and community-based
case management led by volunteers or paraprofessionals. Statutory case management is used for the
more serious cases of violence and abuse. In many countries, there are multiple case management
systems working with vulnerable children. These may include case management established to respond
to violence or vulnerabilities linked to HIV, or as part of a social protection system.107 The use of several
systems can lead to numerous problems, including inefficiencies and overlap in provision, and children
having to explain traumatic experiences to different actors repeatedly.108 Integrated case management
coordinates the process across sectors and agencies.109
Case management often involves the use of information management systems, such as Primero.110 These
platforms make it easier for social workers to share information with colleagues in other sectors and to
hand over cases when a child moves between areas of the country or across borders.111 Information
management systems can also be used to monitor the number of children experiencing and reporting
violence, as well as responses to violence. Box 9 provides an example from Zambia on case management
used by community volunteers.
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
25 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaBox 9: Community case management to end violence against children in
Zambia112
In Zambia, community volunteers from 17 districts have been trained in case management to
identify vulnerability and provide support to children. Volunteers are given basic tools which provide
step by step guidance on risk assessment and response, and forms to systematically record each
case. This community case management approach provides a holistic assessment of needs and
can be used for the protection of children against multiple forms of violence. Case management
guidance has also been developed to identify and respond to children at risk of marriage.
Community case workers are linked to government systems. They make referrals to government
services and hand over cases which involve more serious child rights violations.
Community case management is showing promising results with social workers reporting that that
a larger number of families can be reached using this approach. Community case management also
allows early identification of at-risk groups and a stronger focus on prevention. The engagement of
community members has made case management more relevant to local needs. Despite these
benefits, there are also several challenges associated with the approach. For example, volunteers
have varying degrees of literacy and struggle with the terminology and form-filling involved in case
management. More also needs to be done to ensure that the data generated by case management
is analyzed to identify the most significant drivers of violence against children.
Useful Resources
x World Health Organisation (2016) INSPIRE - seven strategies to end violence against children
x This toolkit provides good practice examples of a number of different services to prevent and respond to violence.
x UNICEF (2019) Everybody wants to belong: A practical guide to tackling and leveraging social norms in behaviour
change programming
x UNICEF (2019) Technical guidance communication for development programmes for addressing violence against
children
x UNICEF and Maestral (2017) Integrating case management for vulnerable children: A process guide for assessing
and developing integrated case management in Eastern and Southern Africa
© UNICEF/UN0438354/Ramasomanana
Strengthening the child protection system to end violence
26 UNICEF
against children in Eastern and Southern AfricaYou can also read
