Africa-Press – Kenya. The Ministry of Gender and Public Service and World Vision have mulled towards the adoption of the Children Bill 2021, by the National Assembly and Senate.
Speaking during World Children Day on Saturday, Gender CAS Lina Chebii noted that the bill will improve and create awareness on children’s rights.
This year’s theme by UNICEF is to help children recover from interruptions and learning losses experienced through the Covid-19.
CS Margaret Kobia, whose speech was read by Chebii called on legislators to approve the Bill before the end of their term in parliament.
“The enactment and implementation of this new law will go a long way in scaling up the progressive realisation of the rights of all children in Kenya,” Kobia said.
The Children Bill, 2021, provides that no person shall subject a child to armed conflict, hostilities, or recruit a child in armed conflicts.
World Vision National Coordinator Lilian Dodzo also called on lawmakers to listen to public opinion and put the lives of children into consideration.
“The Children Bill will enhance the safeguarding of the rights of children in Kenya and therefore its enactment into law is of high priority,” she said.
During the webinar, a number of issues were raised by children on; violence against children, child participation and children connected to the streets.
Others were access to justice; birth registration, and access to education, clean water, and affordable health services.
These issues were presented through a memorandum in which the children requested government and other stakeholders in the child protection sector to address them, to ensure children in Kenya fully enjoy their rights.
With financial support from the European Union, the Joining Forces is implementing a child protection project in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mali, and Senegal.
The European Union-funded child protection project focuses on strengthening child protection systems.
It also works with families, communities, and institutions to raise awareness and capacity to protect children.
To strengthen child participation, the ministry, through the State Department for Social Protection, Senior Citizens Affairs, and Special Programmes, initiated the Kenya Children Assembly (KCA).
The platform affords children the opportunity to air their views and interact with policymakers.
The Ministry of Gender and Public Service is also disseminating the National Prevention and Response Plan on Violence Against Children (2019-2023), which provides guidance to various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) on how to integrate strategies in their annual plans and budgets.
This will be important for prevention and response to various forms of violence against children.
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