malawi case study plan sweden
TRANSCRIPT
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Intgrng Chilrns Prcipon n Commnit Rsponsswith
Th Nonl Chil Protcon Sstm in Mlwi
CaSe STudy
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CONTeNTS
acknowlgmnts...............................................................................................4
acronms................................................................................................................5
Smmr................................................................................................................6
Min rcommnons........................................................................................7
1. Strengthen child centred approaches....................................................7
2. Support and security for
community-ownedchildproteconresponses.......................................8
3. Supporttoformalchildproteconsystems...........................................8
4. Strengthentheroleoflocalandnaonalcivilsociety............................8
1. Introcon.....................................................................................................9
1.1. Aims........................................................................................................9
1.2. Methodology.........................................................................................10
1.3.Limitaons.............................................................................................10
2. Violnc aginst Chilrn.............................................................................12
2.1. Internaonally.......................................................................................122.2. In Malawi..............................................................................................12
3. Intrnonl Frmworks for Chil Protcon...........................................15
3.1.TheUNConvenonontheRightsoftheChild.....................................15
3.2.TheAfricanCharterontheRightsandWelfareofChildren..................16
3.3. The UN Study on Violence Against Children.........................................16
4. Intrnonl trns in rssing Violnc aginst Chilrn....................17
4.1.Childproteconsystems.......................................................................18
4.2. Communitybasedresponsestochildprotecon.................................19
5. Plns Chil Protcon Progrmm in Mlwi.............................................19
5.1.ThedevelopmentbyPlanofamul-levelsystemsapproach...............20
5.2 Projectacvies....................................................................................22
5.3.Projectachievementsandchallenges...................................................26
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6. Lssons Lrnt n Bst Prccs................................................................35
6.1. Preservingthebestinterestsofthechild.............................................35
6.2. Childrensparcipaon.........................................................................35
6.3. Communitychildproteconresponses................................................37
6.4. Amul-levelapproach..........................................................................40
7. Conclsions n Rcommnons.............................................................42
7.1. Strengthen child centred approaches...............................................42
7.2. Support and security for community-
ownedchildproteconresponses....................................................43 7.3. Supporttoformalchildproteconsystems......................................44
7.4. Strengthentheroleoflocalandnaonalcivilsociety......................45
appnix:
1 Notesonthechildproteconorganisaonalstructures
shown in the diagram........................................................................46
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acknowlgmnts
Theauthorwouldliketosincerelythankallthosewhomadethewringofthis
case study possible. First, Id like to acknowledge the strength and courage ofthechildrenandcommunitymemberswhocollaboratewithPlanMalawi,and
whoworktoimprovethewellbeingofchildrenintheircommunies,oeninthe
faceofgreatdicules.Theycontributedinvaluablytothebaselinestudy,tothe
evaluaon of the child protecon project and to the project visit that was
conductedinpreparaonforthewringofthiscasestudy.
ThestaofPlanMalawianditspartners,parcularlyPlansKasunguProgramme
UnitandthemembersoftheKasunguDistrictChildProteconCommiee,also
gaveoftheirvaluablemetodiscusstheirchildproteconacvies.Theparci -
pants in the workshop that was conducted in Lilongwe also contributed greatly to
thereviewofthestatusofMalawisnaonalchildproteconsystems.
ThewholeprocesswasveryablyoverseenbyMacDonaldMumba,ChildRights
Adviser,PlanMalawiandVeraGahm,ChildProteconAdviser,PlanSweden,who
providedtheirowninsightsandgreatsupport.
Finally,AkinboroBolaji,CountryDirectorofPlanMalawiandAnnaHgg-Sjquist,
NaonalDirectorofPlanSweden,gavetheirfullbackingtotheprojectwithout
whichitcouldnothavebeenrealised.
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acronms
ACRWC AfricanCharterontheRightsandWelfareofChildren
CRC ConvenonontheRightsoftheChildINGO Internaonalnon-governmentorganisaon
NGO Non-governmentalorganisaon
SIDA SwedishInternaonalDevelopmentAgency
UDHR UniversalDeclaraononHumanRights
UNICEF UnitedNaonsChildrensFund
VAC Violence Against Children
VSU VicmSupportUnit
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Smmr
ConsiderableeortshavebeenmadebygovernmentandcivilsocietyinMalawi
tostrengthenandcoordinateresponsestoviolenceagainstchildren.Asapartofthisendeavour,between2008and2010PlanMalawiimplementedtheproject
StrengtheningDistrictChildProteconSystems,withfundingfromtheSwedish
InternaonalDevelopmentAgency(SIDA).Theprojectbuiltontheexperience
thatPlanMalawihadgainedsince2002insupporngcommunitychildprotec-
onresponses.
Theevaluaonof theprojecthasbeenusedasanopportunitytoproducethis
analycalcasestudy.Thecasestudyisbasedon:areviewofrecentliteratureon
naonalchildproteconsystems;a2006reviewbyPlanofchildproteconin
Malawiwhichservedasthebase-linestudyfortheproject;theexternalevalua-
onoftheproject;andaprojectvisittoMalawi,whichincludedaworkshopwith
stafromPlananditspartnerstoreviewthestatusofMalawischildprotecon
system.
Theinternaonalhumanrightstreaes,includingtheConvenonontheRights
oftheChild(CRC)andtheAfricanCharterontheRightsandWelfareofChildren
(ACRWC),areunequivocalinupholdingchildrensrighttoproteconagainstall
formsofviolence.However, theUNStudyonViolenceAgainstChildren(VAC)
concluded that violenceagainst childrenconstutes a seriousglobalproblem.
RecentstudiesinMalawialsoconrmthatviolenceisacommonchildhoodexpe -
rience that has considerable social acceptance.
Inialchildproteconeortsindevelopingcountriesfocusedmainlyonchildren
atparcularrisk,suchaschildlabourersandstreetchildren.Thisneglectedthe
violenceexperiencedbychildrenintheirownhomes,schoolsandcommunies.
TherecommendaonsoftheUNStudygaveimpetustotheworkofinternaonal
NGOstosupportgovernmentstocreatecomprehensivenaonalchildprotecon
systemsthataimtoaddresstheviolenceexperiencedbyallchildren.
Recentworkontheadaptaonofnaonalchildproteconsystemstothesocial,
culturalandeconomiccontextsofdevelopingcountrieshaveresulted insomeconsensus on the key components of those systems. The key components were
used as a reference for this case study.
PlanMalawischildproteconprojectadoptedamul-levelapproach,akeycom-
ponentbeingthefacilitaonofchildrensparcipaonandtheopeningofoppor-
tuniesforchildrentointeractwithdecision-makersatthecommunity,district
andnaonallevels.
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Theprojectconsistedofsupporttothefollowingmainareasofacvity:
Thepromoonofchildrensparcipaon
Supporttocommunitychildproteconstructuresandresponses
Strengtheningdistrictchildproteconstructuresandresponses
Developmentofanenablingnaonalenvironmentforchildprotecon
Manygainsweremadeintheseareasofacvity,resulnginconsiderablere-
cognionwithinMalawioftheapproachadoptedbyPlananditspartners.The
environment inMalawi remainschallenging,however,parcularly in termsof
culturalatudestowardschildren,thelackofscaleandreachofchildprotecon
services,scarcehumanandnancialresources,theabsenceofunifyingnaonal
childproteconpolicies,andtheoverlappingmandatesofthemanyministries
withresponsibilitytowardschildrenwhichmakescoordinaonandpolicy-making
dicult.
DuetoPlanMalawislongandconsistenthistoryofworkonchildproteconand
itswillingnesstoreectonitsexperience,manylessonslearntwereidenedas
aresultoftheprojectexperience.Thesehavebeenusedtoformulatethefollowing
asetofrecommendaons.
Min rcommnons
These recommendaons are aimed primarily at Plan management and pro-
grammesta,butarealsoofrelevancetoothercivilsocietyorganisaoinsand
governmentorganisaonsworkingonchildprotecon.
1. Strngthn chil cntr pprochs
Child centred approachesrequire sustained supportover aperiodof yearsto
allownecessarychangesinatudesandpraccestobeadoptedandsustained.
Praccalmechanismsshouldbeputinplacetoensurethatthebestinterests
ofchildrenarepreservedinchildproteconresponses.Theseinclude:building
responsesbasedontheresultsofqualityparcipatoryresearchwithchildren;
promongchildrensparcipaonatalllevels;andensuringthattheirviewsare
givendueweightinchildproteconiniaves.Child-friendlyproteconpracces
should be adopted, including community based psychosocial support. The out-
comesofchildproteconacvies,includingthereporngandmanagementof
cases,shouldbemonitoredfortheirimpactonchildren,andusedtoimprove
childproteconprocesses.
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2. Spport n scrit for commnit-own chil
protcon rsponssCommunitybased responses toviolenceagainst childrenarenecessary for its
prevenon,andforsupporttochildrenandtheirfamilies.
Thecapacityoftheformalchildproteconserviceandofcivilsocietyshouldbe
builttoprovidesustainedsupporttocommunity-basedresponsesthatencourage
community ownership throughvoluntarism.Posive non-violentatudesand
behaviour thatbuildonexisngposivetradionalpraccestowardschildren
shouldbepromoted.Primaryjuscesystems,whichtendtomakedecisionsthat
areprejudicialtovulnerablegroups,shouldbetransformedtoenabledecision-
makingthatisinthebestinterestsofwomenandchildren.Aenonshouldbegiventothesecurityofadultandchildrensgroupsthroughacvecollaboraon
withtradionalleadersandcommunitypolice.
3. Spport to forml chil protcon sstms
Communitybasedchildproteconresponsesneedtobebalancedbythedevelop-
mentofformalchildproteconsystems.
Formalchildproteconsystemsarenecessarytosupportcommunityeorts,to
raisethegeneralpublicsawarenessofchildprotecon,toenhanceprevenon
andtoensureanadequateresponsetoreportedcases.TheexperienceofMalawipoints inparcular to the valueand necessity ofmul-disciplinary coordina-
onbodiesatnaonalanddistrictlevelsforthedevelopmentofeecvechild
proteconsystems.
InternaonalNGOscanplayanacveroleinpromongcoordinaonandsup-
porngchildren,communies,civilsocietyandthegovernmenttoworktogether
tobuildeecveresponsestoviolenceagainstchildren.
4. Strngthn th rol of locl n nonl civil socit
Internaonal NGOs have a parcular responsibility tonurture thecapacityoflocalandnaonalcivilsocietytosupportchildproteconresponsesbycommuni-
esandbygovernment.
PlanisunusualasanINGOtohaveapresenceclosetocommuniesandalsoat
thedistrictandnaonallevels.Thisenablesittoadoptmul-levelapproaches
that are sensive to the realies of childrens lives.However, Plan should be
the facilitator of this process, rather than the principle actor. It should build the
capacityoflocalandnaonalcivilsocietytoprovideeecvesupporttocom-
munity responses to violence against children, and to lobby government for
improvedandenforcedlegislaonandservicedelivery.
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1. Introcon
InthetwodecadessincetheConvenonontheRightsoftheChild(CRC),increa-
singaenonhasbeengiventochildrensrighttoprotecon.Iniallythiswas
focusedonspeciccategoriesofchildrenwhowerethoughttobeparcularly
vulnerable toviolenceandwere inspecialneedofprotecon, suchasstreet
children, child labourers and child soldiers.
By the middle of the last decade, awareness was growing that the root causes
ofviolenceagainstthesedierentgroupsofchildrenweresimilar,aswerethe
aconsrequiredtoaddressthem,andthatamoreholiscandcomprehensive
approachtoprotecngchildrenwasneeded.Inaddion,workingwithchildren
onagroupbygroupbasisledtotheneglectofthosewhowerelessvisible,such
aschildreninabusivehomesituaons.
The2006UNStudyonViolenceAgainstChildren(VAC)foundthatviolenceagainst
childrenisprevalentineverysocietyandthatittakesplacemostfrequentlyin
childrenshomes,schoolsandcommunies.Itcalledforgovernmentstodevelop
mul-facetedandsystemacframeworkstorespondtoviolenceagainstchildren.
Thishasgivenimpetustotheworkofgovernmentsandnon-governmentorgani -
saonstodevelopnaonalchildproteconsystemsthatcanrespondtothepro -
teconrightsofallchildren.
Overthelastfewyears,considerableeortshavebeenmadebygovernmentand
civilsocietyinMalawitostrengthenandcoordinateresponsestoviolenceagainstchildren.Aspartofthisendeavour,overthelasttwoyearsPlanMalawihasbeen
workingwithfundingfromtheSwedishInternaonalDevelopmentAgency(SIDA)
tosupportthedevelopmentofdistrictchildproteconsystemsinMalawi.The
projectbuiltontheexperiencethatPlanMalawihadgainedsince2002insup-
porngcommunitychildproteconresponses.
Theprojectusedamul-levelapproachinwhichchildrensparcipaonandthe
integraonofcommunityresponseswiththeformalchildproteconsystemwere
key.Theevaluaonoftheprojecthasbeenusedasanopportunitytoproduce
thisanalycalcasestudy.SomerststepshavebeentakentowardsmappingthestatusofMalawischildproteconsystemsandtheroleofcivilsocietyinpromo-
ngcoordinatedresponsestoviolenceagainstchildren.
1.1. aims
ThiscasestudyanalysestheachievementsandchallengesofPlanMalawisproject
StrengtheningDistrictChildProteconSystems,sengitinthecontextofMa-
lawisnaonalchildproteconsystem,anddrawingoutsomerecommendaons
basedonthisexperience.
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Theaimofthecasestudyisto:
1. Tocontributetothebodyofevidenceonchildproteconpracce.
2. Toprovideexamplesoflessonslearntandbestpraccesthatcanbeused
toexchangeexperiencesandbuildallianceswithinPlansglobalorgani-
saonandwithgovernmentandnon-governmentpartnerswithinMalawi
and elsewhere.
3. To provide evidence that will strengthen Plans approach to violence
againstchildrenandchildrensparcipaon,includingitsadvocacywork
andcollaboraonwiththeUNSpecialRepresentaveonViolenceagainst
Children.
1.2. Mthoolog
Severalsourcesandacvieshavecontributedtothedevelopmentofthiscase
study.Theliteratureonviolenceagainstchildrenwasreviewed,parcularlyasit
relatestonaonalchildproteconsystems.Thestudydrewonthe2006review
ofchildproteconinMalawiconductedbyPlanasabaselinefortheSIDA-funded
project,StrengtheningDistrictChildProteconSystems.Thisprojectwasimple -
mentedfrom2008to2010.Thecasestudyincludesinsightsfromtheexternal
evaluaonoftheprojectcarriedoutinearly20101.
Aprojectvisitwasconductedbythemainauthorofthiscasestudy,togetherwith
PlanSwedensChildProteconAdviser.Thisvisitconsistedofconsultaonswith
children,communitymembers,partnersandPlanstainKasunguDistrict,and
meengswithnaonalpartners.
Aspartoftheprojectvisit,aone-dayworkshopwasheldtoreviewthestatus
ofMalawisnaonalchildproteconsystem.Theparcipantswererepresenta-
vesfromPlansta,itscivilsocietypartnerorganisaonsandtheMalawiHuman
RightsCommission.DiscussionsonMalawischildproteconsystemwasbased
onkeycompenents(seesecon4.1forcomponentsofanaonalchildprotecon
system).
1.3. Limitons
This case study sets Plan Malawis child protecon project in the context of
Malawisedglingnaonalchild protecon system. Thestatusof thenaonal
childproteconsystemwasreviewedfromtheliteratureandduringabriefone
dayworkshopwithrepresentavesfromPlanandsomeofitsnaonalpartners.
TherehasnotyetbeenathoroughandsystemacreviewofMalawisnaonal
childproteconsystem.
1 TheevaluaonwasconductedbyBrowneandGreenwoodLtd.ofLilongwe.
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Themainmethodologyusedtoconsultwithchildrenandcommuniesduringthe
baselinesurvey,theevaluaonandthecasestudyvisitwerefocusgroupdiscus-
sions.MorerigorousqualitaveandquantaveapproachestotheevaluaonofchildproteconprogrammesneedtobedevelopedbyPlan.
MostoftheexamplesandquotaonscontainedinthisstudyarefromPlanswork
inKasunguDistrict.Thisisbecausetheprojectvisitsconductedaspartofthe
2006reviewofchildprotecontookplaceinKasungu.Theauthorreturnedto
Kasungufor thevisit conducted for this case study forcomparavepurposes.
PlanisalsoimplemenngthechildproteconprojectinLilongwe,Mulanjeand
MzuzuDistricts.
Parcipantsatworkattheone-dayworkshoponMalawisnaonalchild
proteconsystem
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2. Violnc ginst Chilrn
2.1. Intrnonll
TheUN VACstudy concluded that violenceagainst childrenexists inallsocie-esandiswidespread,constungagraveglobalproblem 2.Theprevalenceof
violenceagainstchildrenisdiculttodeterminebecause itisunder-reported.
Thisisduetofear,socialtoleranceandthelackofsafesystemsforreporng.
Aseriesofrecentstudiesatlocalandinternaonallevelshaveindicatedthat:
80-98% of children suerphysical punishment in their homes,with a
thirdofthemexperiencingseverephysicalpunishmentwiththeuseof
implements 3.
therstsexualexperienceofupto48%ofadolescentgirlsandupto32%of boys is forced 4.
218millionchildrenworldwideareinchildlabour,ofwhom126million
are in hazardous work 5.
Violence has serious immediate and long term consequences for children in
termsoftheirphysical,mental,emoonal,socialandeconomicwellbeingand
development.
2.2. In Mlwi
InMalawi,studiesconrmthatviolenceagainstchildrenisverycommon:
24%ofMalawianschoolchildrenaged9to18yearsreporthavingbeen
forcedtohavesexagainsttheirwill. This happensmostfrequentlyat
home and at school 6.
37%ofchildrenaged5to17yearsareengagedinchildlabour(workthat
isdetrimentaltotheirhealth,safetyandeducaon) 7.
Althoughgirlsexperienceviolenceinschoolmorefrequentlythanboys,bullying,
physicalandsexualviolenceiscommonamongboysaswell.
2 UNSecretaryGeneral.(2006).ReportoftheindependentexpertfortheUnitedNaonsStudy
onViolenceAgainstChildren.UNGeneralAssembly.3
ibid.4 KrugE.etal.(2002).WorldReportonViolenceandHealth.WHO
5 ILO. (2006). The end of child labour: within reach. Global report under the follow up to the ILO
DeclaraononFundamentalPrinciplesandRightsatWork.ReportoftheDirectorGeneral.ILOGeneva.6 Burton,P.(2005)Sueringat School.ResultsoftheMalawiGender-basedViolencein SchoolsSurvey.
CrimeandJusceStascsDivision.NaonalStascsOce.7 NaonalStascsOce,MinistryofLabourandVocaonalTraining.(2004).NaonalChildLabour.
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Itisesmatedthatthereareover1millionchildreninMalawiwhohavelostoneorbothparents,halfofthesebeingduetoAIDS 8.Childrenwhohavelostparents
areparcularlyatriskofabuse,neglectandexploitaon,andbeingforcedinto
riskycopingstrategiessuchastransaconalsexandworkinginexploitavesitua-
ons 9.
Tradionalculturalpraccesarewide-spreadthroughoutMalawi,someofthem
beingassociatedwithviolenceagainstthechildreninvolved 10,suchas:
childmarriage
praccesinvolvingsexualabuseandearly,unsafesexualacvity femalegenitalcungusingunsafeandunhygienicpracces
Thereisconsiderablesocialacceptanceofviolenceagainstchildren.Onestudy
showedthatchildrenreportonly60%ofincidentsofviolenceinschoolstosome -
oneelse(friend,parentorteacher).Ofthese,aconisonlytakeninabouthalf
ofthecases,mostfrequentlythroughtheissueofawarning.Onlyaverysmall
numberofsexualabusecases,around3%,isreportedtothepolice 11.
Discussionswithchildrenandcommunitymembersprovideddeeperinsightsinto
formsandtrendsofviolencethatchildrenexperience.Thetablebelowshowsthe
mostcommonformsofviolencemenonedbychildrenandcommunitymem-
bersduringgroupdiscussionsconductedbyPlaninLilongweandKasungudis-
tricts during the baseline study of 2006.
8 Governmentof Malawi. (2005). NaonalPlanof AconforOrphans and OtherVulnerable Children
2005-2009.9 Munthali,A.,Mvula,P.,Mandere,G.(2006).ChildProteconinMalawi:AReviewoftheLiterature.10 MalawiHuman Rights Commission. (2006) Cultural Pracces and their Impact on theEnjoyment of
HumanRights,parcularlytheRightsofWomenandChildreninMalawi.
11 Burton,P.(2005)SueringatSchool.ResultsoftheMalawiGender-basedViolenceinSchoolsSurvey. CrimeandJusceStascsDivision.NaonalStascsOce.
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3. Intrnonl Frmworks for Chil Protcon
Children should enjoy all the rights set out in the internaonal human rights
framework. These protect the dignity, worth and security of person of all humanbeings.TherighttoproteconwasrstlaiddownasahumanrightintheUniversal
DeclaraonofHumanRights(UDHR).Forexample,Arcle5oftheUDHRguaran-
tees the right to freedom from torture and from cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment.
Otherconvenonsandhumanrightsinstrumentsfurtherelaboratetherightto
protecon.Forexample,theproteconofwomenagainstdiscriminaonprovided
bytheConvenononAllFormsofDiscriminaonAgainstWomen(CEDAW)has
beenexpandedbytheCEDAWCommieesGeneralRecommendaon19toin-
cludegender-basedviolence.
3.1. Th uN Convnon on th Rights of th Chil
TheUNCRCprovidesaddionalprotecontochildrenduetotheirposionof
dependenceandvulnerability. Itisunequivocalinupholdingchildrensrightto
proteconagainstallformsofviolence,andhasconsistentlychallengedStates
Parestoprohibitviolenceagainstchildren,howeverlight 14.
Arcle19obligesStatesParestotakeallappropriatemeasurestoprotectthe
childfromall formsofphysicalormentalviolence,injuryorabuse,neglector
negligenttreatment,maltreatmentorexploitaon,includingsexualabuse.
OtherarclesoftheCRCanditstwoOponalProtocolsrefertospecicprotec-
onissues.Theseinclude:illicituse,produconandtrackingofnarcocdrugs;
proteconfromsale,trackingandabducon;tortureorothercruel,inhuman
ordegrading treatment, punishment or school discipline; tradional pracces
prejudicialtohealth;andeectsofarmedconict.
Manyotherarclesarealsorelevanttochildrensproteconfromviolence(such
as the childs right not to be separated from parents unless it is in his or her best
interests;Arcle9).
14Hodgkin,R.,Newell,P.(2007).ImplementaonHandbookfortheConvenonontheRightsoftheChild.UNICEF
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3.2. Th africn Chrtr on th Rights n Wlfr of Chilrn
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children (ACRWC), whichenteredintoforcein1999,andwhichwasraedbyMalawiin1999,obliges
StatesParestotakespeciclegislave,administrave,socialandeducaonal
measures to protect the child from all forms of torture, inhuman or degrading
treatment,andespeciallyphysicalormentalinjuryorabuse,neglectormaltreat -
mentincludingsexualabuse.
TheACRWCcoverssimilargroundtotheCRCintermsofchildrensprotecon
rights, being stronger in certain aspects and weaker in others. Legally, children
areguaranteedwhicheverprovisionisstrongerintermsoftherealisaonoftheir
rights.The parcular strengthof the ACRWC is that itexpresslyproclaims its
supremacyoveranycustom,tradion,culturalorreligiouspraccethatisincon -
sistentwiththerights,duesorobligaonscontainedinthecharter 15.
3.3. Th uN St on Violnc aginst Chilrn
TheUNSecretaryGeneralsStudyonViolenceAgainstChildrenwaspresented
totheUNGeneralAssemblyinOctober2006.Theconductofthestudyincluded
aseriesofnaonalandregionalconsultaonsinwhichchildrenplayedasigni-
cantrole.Thestudyexaminedviolenceathomeandinthefamily;inschooland
educaonalsengs;withincareandjusceinstuons;atplacesofwork;and
within the community.
Thestudychallengedtheacceptanceofviolenceagainstchildren,itskeymessage
being:Noviolenceagainstchildrenisjusable;allviolenceagainstchildrenis
preventable.
Thestudymadetwelveoverarchingrecommendaonsandspecicrecommen -
daonsforaddressingviolenceineachseng.Therstrecommendaonwas
thatallStatesdevelopamul-facetedandsystemacframeworktorespondto
violenceagainstchildrenwhichisintegratedintonaonalplanningprocesses.
Thisrecommendaonhassmulatedgovernmentandnon-governmentorgani -saonstoexaminehowtheycanworktowardsthedevelopmentofcomprehen-
sivenaonalchildproteconsystems,rather thanaddressingviolenceagainst
children on an issue-by-issue basis.
15Chirwa,D.M.,(2002).ThemeritsanddemeritsoftheAfricanCharterontheRightsandWelfareofthe
Child.InternaonalJournalofChildrensRights.10:157-177.2002.
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4. Intrnonl trns in rssing Violncginst Chilrn
It isonlyrecently that thewidespreadanddiverse natureof violenceagainst
childrenhasbeenfullyappreciated,andresponsestoitaresllintheirinfancy.
Child protecon is therefore a relavely new sector comparedwith thoseofhealthandeducaon,andasolidbaseofevidenceonwhichstrategiescanbe
securelyfoundedsllneedstobedeveloped.
Approaches to child protecon evolved from programmes of work with
ChildreninDicultCircumstancesandChildreninSpecialNeedofProtecon
inthe1980sand90s.Childproteconeortswerefocusedonparculargroups
of children who were thought to be most at risk, such as children in the worst
formsofchildlabour,streetchildrenandchildreninconictwiththelaw.
Althoughtheknowledgeandskillsneededtorespondtoparcularchildprotec-onviolaonsareimportantforqualitycare,thefocusonspeciccategoriesof
childrenledtoafragmentedapproachwhichwasinecient,andwhichdidnot
respondtotheviolenceexperiencedbymanychildren.Inparcularitfailedto
acknowledgeandaddressthewidespreadnatureofviolenceagainstchildrenin
theirhomes,schoolsandcommunies.
Thistypeofnarrowfocusonspeciccategoriesofchildrenalsofailstorecognise
thedynamicandchangingnatureofchildrenslivesastheystruggletondsafety
andsecurity.Manychildrenbelongtomorethanonecategoryormovebetween
themoverme.
Forexample,duringaparcipatorystudywithagroupofchildrenworkingon
thetobaccoestatesinMalawi,themajorityofthegroupwerefoundtohavelost
parentstoAIDS16.Thus,thesechildrenarenotonlyworkinginexploitavesitua -
ons,butarealsograpplingwiththedevastangconsequencesofAIDSontheir
families.
In2009theUNSpecialRepresentaveonViolenceagainstChildrenwasappoin-
ted as an independent voice and global advocate to promote acon on the
ndingsofthestudy,andlearningonbestpracces.Inaddion,theCRCCommiee
hasnowstartedtoquesonStatesParesabouttheirresponsetothestudys
ndingsandrecommendaons.
16Clacherty,G.(2008).Hardwork,longhoursandlilepay.Parcipatoryresearchwithchildrenworkingon
tobaccofarmsinMalawi.Plan
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By the early 00s, it was appreciated that more holisc approaches to child
proteconwerenecessary.In2002,UNICEFadoptedanintegratedapproachto
childproteconcalledtheprotecveenvironment.Thisapproachacknowledges
thatsimilaraconsareneededtoprotectchildrenfromallthedierenttypesof
violenceagainstthem,suchaspassingadequatelegislaon,providingessenal
servicesandbuildingchildrenslife-skills.
4.1. Chil protcon sstms
Therstoverarchingrecommendaonof theUNVACStudywasthatallStates
shoulddevelopamulfacetedandsystemacframeworktorespondtoviolence
againstchildren.Someinternaonalorganisaons,suchasSavetheChildrenand
UNICEF,arenowfocussingtheirsupporttochildprotecononthedevelopment
ofcomprehensiveandholiscnaonalchildproteconsystems 17.
Understanding how child protecon systems in developing countries can be
formedinamannerappropriatetotheircontext,ratherthanreplicangWestern
childproteconsystems,isatanearlystage.Researchhas indicatedthatthey
needtobeadaptedtothenaonaleconomic,social,policalandculturalcon-
text,andexibleenoughtorespondtochange,suchastheoccurrenceofemer-
gencysituaons18.Childrensparcipaoninchildproteconsystemsiscrical
toensurethattheyadequatelyacknowledgeandaddresschildrensprotecon
issuesandworkin thechildsbest interests.Publicawarenessandsupport for
childproteconservicesalsoneedtobegenerated.
Childproteconsystemsincludenon-formalresponsesbyfamiliesandcommu-
niestoviolenceagainstchildren,aswellasformalresponsesbygovernment
instuons. Theboundaries betweenchild protecon andother systems that
promotechildhoodwellbeing,suchashealthandeducaon,needtobedelinea-
ted,andclosecollaboraondevelopedbetweenthem.
Naonalchildproteconsystemsshouldprovideeecveprevenveandrespon-
siveservices.Thenecessarystructures,funcons,capaciesandaccountability
systemstosupporttheseservicesneedtobeinplaceatalllevels.
As a result of the inter-agency work that has been done, there is growing consen-
susaroundthekeycomponentsofanaonalchildproteconsystem,though,as
notedabove,thepreciseformwilldependonthecontext.
17 Wulezyn, F et al. (2009). Adapng a Systems Approach to Child Protecon: Key Concepts and
Consideraons.ChapinHall,UniversityofChicago.18ibid.
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4.2. Commnit bs rsponss to chil protconCommunityresponsestoviolenceagainstchildrenareessenalcomponentsofa
naonalchildproteconsystem.Withinaresource-poorcountrysuchasMalawi,
they enable larger numbers of children to be reached at lower cost, and facilitate
thelinkbetweenfamiliesandformalchildproteconservices.
ManyINGOssupportcommunitybasedresponsesaspartoftheirchildprotec -
onprogrammesindevelopingcountries.Currently,however,thereisalackof
robustevidenceaboutthebeststrategiestopromotetheireecveness,cost,
scalability and sustainability, though research is being conducted to clarify this20.
Adeskstudyfoundthatthereareseveralfactorsthatinuencetheeecveness
ofcommunitybasedchildprotecongroups.Theseare:communityownership,
buildingonexisngresources,supportfromleaders,childparcipaon,andthe
inclusionofvulnerablegroupsindecision-making.
5. Plns chil protcon progrmm in Mlwi
In2002PlanMalawistartedworkingwithcommunitycommieesandchildrens
groups to raise awareness and to facilitate community responses to violence
against children. As the issue began to be discussed more openly and casesemerged,eortsweremadetolinkcommuniestoareaanddistrictchildprotec-
onservices21.Theseservices,however,wereweakandpoorlydevelopedand
providedlilesupporttocommunityeorts.
19DrawnmainlyfromSCF.Undateddra.ARoughGuidetoChildProteconSystems.
20 Wessels,M.(2009).Whatarewelearningaboutprotecngchildreninthecommunity?Aninteragency
reviewoftheevidenceoncommunitybasedchildproteconmechanismsinhumanitariananddevelop-
mentsengs.SavetheChildren.21
TheVillage,AreaandDistrictaretheadministravelevelsofMalawislocalgovernmentsystem.There are28districtsinthethreeregionsofthecountry.
Componnts of nonl chil protcon sstm 19
Naonalchildproteconlaws,policiesandprogrammes Coordinaonwithinthechildproteconsystemandwithothersectors
Childrensparcipaon
Publicawarenessandsupport
Eecvechildproteconservices
Eecveregulaonandqualitystandards
Knowledgeanddatageneraonandmanagement
Humanandnancialresources
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In2006,areviewofchildproteconinMalawiwasconductedbyPlantoformthe
basisforfurtherdevelopingitschildproteconwork 22. This drew on the study
conducted in Malawi as part of the UN VAC study 23,butalsoincludedndings
fromvisitsandconsultaonswithstakeholdersatthenaonal,districtandcom-
munitylevel.
Thereviewfoundthatthereweremanygapsinlegislaon,therewasnonaonal
childproteconpolicyorprogramme,andchildproteconstructuresandservices
atalllevelswereweakornon-existent.However,throughtheeortsofthemul-
disciplinaryNaonalTechnicalWorkingGrouponChildProtecon,considerable
thoughtandenergywerebeingdevotedtocoordinanggovernmentandnon-
govern-mentalworkonchildprotecon,usingtheprotecveenvironmentconcept.
In2006, the members of the NaonalTechnicalWorking Group had reached
agreementsaboutthechildproteconstructuresthatshouldbeinplaceatthe
areaanddistrictlevels,theirrelaonshiptothenaonalsystemoflocalgovern-
ment and how they should coordinate with, and support, community based child
protecongroups.Therewasalsoconsensusonthetrainingcurriculathatshould
beusedfordierentlevelsofcommunityvolunteerandworker.Thisworkpro -
videdanimportantfoundaonforthesubsequentdevelopmentofPlanMalawis
childproteconworkthroughtheSIDAfundedproject.
5.1. Th vlopmnt b Pln of ml-lvl, sstms pprochDuetotheweaknessofthechildproteconsystematalllevels,andtheneedfor
thistobeimprovedifcommunityresponsesandchildrensparcipaonwereto
ourish,Plandevelopedamul-levelapproachtochildprotecon.
Theproject, fundedby SIDA between2008and2010, involved strengthening
childproteconstructuresandresponsesatthevillage,areaanddistrictlevelsin
thefourdistrictsinwhichPlanworks(namely,Kasungu,Lilongwe,Mulanjeand
Mzuzu)whilstalsocontribungtothedevelopmentofafavourableenvironment
forchildproteconatthenaonallevel.Plansoughttobuildstructuresandto
openopportuniesforchildrentoparcipateateachlevel.
22Plan.(2007).CommunityChildProteconProgramme.Reviewofprogressandrecommendaons.
23MinistryofGender,ChildWelfareandCommunityServices.(2005).StudyonViolenceagainstChildrenin
Malawi.GovernmentofMalawi.
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24 PlanMalawiscivilsocietypartnersonchildproteconare:theHumanRightsConsultaveCommiee,
REFORD,YouthWatchSociety,CentreforYouthandChildrenAairs,theMalawiHumanRightsYouth Network;andBiwiYouthOrganisaon.
Plansmainpartnersintheplanningandimplementaonoftheprojectwere:
MinistryofGender,ChildDevelopmentandCommunityDevelopment
MalawiHumanRightsCommission
UNICEF
NaonalTechnicalWorkingGrouponChildProtecon
DistrictChildProteconandChildLabourCommiees
Severalnaonalandlocalcivilsocietyorganisaons 24
Th projct t glnc
Gol
Safeguardchildrensrighttoproteconfromviolence,abuse,neglectandexploi-
taon
Objcvs
Promotechildrensrighttoparcipaonincommunityanddistrictdecision-making
processes
Facilitatethecreaonofcommunitystructurestomonitorandfollowupchild
proteconissues
Strengthentheinstuonalchildproteconframeworkinfourdistricts
Assistinthecreaonofagoodnaonalpolicyandlegalenvironmentforchild
protecon
acvis
Childrensparcipaon
- Establishmentandsupporttocommunity,areaanddistrictChildAdvocacyGroups
- SupporttoMalawisNaonalChildrensParliament
- Opportuniesforchildrentodialoguewithpolicymakersandserviceprovidersat
alllevels
Communitychildproteconstructuresandresponse
- EstablishmentandsupportofcommunityandareaChildProteconCommiees
Districtchildproteconstructuresandresponse
- StrengtheningtheDistrictChildProteconCommiees
- Collaboraonondistrictchildproteconacvies
Anenablingnaonalenvironmentforchildprotecon
- Strengthening civil society to advocate for eecve legislaon, policy and
programmes
- Strengtheningcivilsocietytomonitorandreportonchildproteconissues
- Collaboraononnaonalchildproteconacvies
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5.2. Projct cvis
Chilrns Prcipon
PlanworkedwithitsNGOpartnerstoformRightsoftheChildgroupswithin
schools,andChildrensAdvocacyGroupsatthevillage,areaanddistrictlevels.
These childrens groupsare facilitated by teachers andparacivic educators 25.
Youngpeoplewhopreviouslyparcipatedinthechildrensacviesalsosupport
the childrens groups.
Thechildrenparcipateinraisingawarenessofchildrensrightsintheirschool
andcommunitythroughdierentmedia,suchastheatre,danceandradio.They
idenfy childrenwith problems, oer support, and raise concerns with adultmembersoftheCommunityChildProteconCommiee.Childrenarealsorepre -
sentedontheVillageDevelopmentCommiees.
Childrentakeupthoseissuesthathavenotbeenadequatelyaddressedatcom-
munityleveltotherelevantauthoriesatdistrictlevel.Theymayrequestfora
childrensforumwithpolicyanddecisionmakersatdistrict level,duringwhich
theyfollowuponthedicultissuestheyhaveidened.
Village,area anddistrictassemblieswereconductedwiththeparcipaonof
children,parents,serviceprovidersandrepresentavesoflocalgovernment,to
25 Apara-civiceducatorisacommunityvolunteerwhohasbeenequippedwithknowledgeandskillsto
undertakecommunityawarenessraisingonchildrightsingeneralandchildproteconinparcular.He orshefocusesmuchofhisorheraenononcommunityawareness.raising.
ChildrenandyouthfromaChildAdvocacyGroupinKasungudistrict
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CaseStudyMALAWI |23
enablechildrentointeractwithdutybearers.Childrepresentavesalsotookpart
indebates,andlobbiedpolicymakersatlocalandnaonaleventscelebrang
thecommemoraonofanniversarydayssuchastheDayoftheAfricanChild.
During suchnaonaldays,childrenselectrepresentavestopresentpeons
torelevantauthoriessuchastheMinisterforGender,ChildrenandCommunity
Development.
ChildrenfromDistrictChildAdvocacyGroupswereselectedandpreparedtore-
present theirconstuencies intheannualNaonalChildrensParliament(sup-
portedbytheMinistryofGender,ChildrenandCommunityDevelopment,UNICEF
andPlan).TheSocialandCommunityAairsParliamentaryCommieeistasked
with ensuringthattheresoluonsofthechildrenareacknowledgedandacted
upon by the adult parliament, though it is not yet clear how they will undertakethisresponsibility.Thereistheneedforcivilsocietytomonitorprogressonthis,
andtolobbyforeecveacon.
Commnit chil protcon strctrs n rspons
VillageandAreaChildProteconCommiteeswereetablishedandtrained.The
commieesconsistof menandwomenvolunteerschosenby their communi-
es,whoareprovidedwithabasictrainingonchildrensrightsandchildabuse.
MembersfromtheChildProteconCommiteefromKawiyavillagein
Kasungudistrict
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Onememberofeachcommieereceivedamoreintensetrainingasapara-civic
educator.
Thepara-civiceducatorsandchildproteconcommieemembersfacilitateand
work hand in hand with childrens groups. They raise awareness of child protec-
on issues, and conductparenng classes during which they discuss posive
methodsofraisinganddiscipliningchildren.Theyfacilitatethemediaonofless
seriouschildabusecases(civilcases),andadviseandsupportfamiliesincases
thatneedtobereportedtotheauthories.Theyalsohelpchildrenandtheir
familiesaccesstheservicesofthepolice,healthcentresandmagistratescourt
atthearealevels.
Rsponsibilis of th Pr-Civic ectors n Commnit Chil Protcon Commit-
t mmbrs
Raising awareness in thecommunity of childrens rights, gender and human
rights
Idenfyingandfollowuponchildproteconproblemsinthecommunity
Conducngparenngclasses
Supporngandfacilitangchildrensgroups
Encouragingculturalpraccespromotethewellbeingofchildren;discouraging
parcipaoninthosethatareagainstthebestinterestsofchildren
Helpingtomediatechildproteconissues(civilcases)
Advisingpeoplewheretogethelp,andhelpingtoreportcriminalacons
ParaciviceducatorfromKawiyavilllageinKasungudistrict
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CaseStudyMALAWI |25
Thepara-civiceducatorsandchildproteconcommieesreportto theVillage
andAreaDevelopmentCommiees,workingincollaboraonwiththetradional
authories,communitypolicingvolunteersandschools.
district chil protcon strctrs n rspons
PlanhasstrengthenedtheDistrictChildProteconandChildLabourCommiees
in the districts where it works through training, and through encouraging the co-
ordinaonoftheacviesofdierentgovernmentocesandNGOsworkingon
child protecon.Opportuniesforthe commiees andrepresentavesof the
districtgovernmenttointeractwithchildrenandtheirparentswereprovidedby
organising district child assemblies.
InKasungu,themembersoftheDistrictChildProteconCommiee,withthesup-
portofPlan,extendedCommunityChildProteconCommieesandChildrens
AdvocacyGroupsintoareasthatwerenotincludedinPlansoriginalproject.
an nbling nonl nvironmnt for chil protcon
Plan has worked in collaboraonwith civil society, other INGOs, UNICEF and
government asa member ofvariousgroupsand coalions toachieve amore
favourable naonal child protecon environment. For example, the Naonal
TechnicalWorkingGrouponChildProteconputtogetherapaperforconside-raon at the naonal constuonal review conference in 2008. Civil society
organisaonshavealsoprovidedinputstothedraingofadequatechildprotec-
onlegislaonandlobbiedforitspassage.
In2008,PlansupportedtheHumanRightsConsultaveCommiee(HRCC),an
umbrellabodyforNGOs,toproduceanalternavereporttothesecondperiodic
reportontheConvenonontheRightsoftheChildpreparedbytheMalawian
government. The alternave report was presented to the Commiee on the
RightsoftheChildduringitsproceedingstoconsidertheStatereport.
Plancommissioned theconductofparcipatoryresearchtoexplorechildrens
experiencesofworkingonthetobaccoestates.Theresearchwaspresentedata
naonalconferenceonchildlabourin2009asameansofsmulangandcoor-
dinangaconbythemaingovernmentandnon-governmentactorstocombat
child labour.
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Social & Community
ParliamentaryCommiee
ChildrensParliament
District
ChildAdvocacyGroup
Area
ChildAdvocacyGroup
Village
ChildAdvocacyGroup
Chilrns Prcipon strctrs in
Mlwis Chil Protcon Sstm (Pln ars)
NaonalSteeringCommiee
onGender&ChildDevelopment
NaonalTechnicalGroupon
ChildProtecon
DistrictChildProtecon
Commiee
AreaChildProtecon
Commiee
VillageChildProtecon
Commiee
NaonalNetworks
(childlabour,tracking,
streetchildren)
26 Fora framework formeasuring childrens parcipaon see: Lansdown,G. (2009). A Framework for MeasuringtheParcipaonofChildrenandAdolescents.UNICEFMENARegionalOce
How th orgnisonl strctrs for chil protcon t togthr
The diagram below and the accompanying table shows how the childrens groups
andchildproteconcommieessupportedbyPlananditspartnersrelatetothe
districtandnaonalbodiesthatareresponsibleforchildprotecon.
See appnix 1. - foranexplanaonofeachactorshowninthediagram.
5.3. Projct chivmnts n chllngs
Incrs opportnis for chilrns prcipon
Theprojecthasfacilitatedthecreaonofchildrensgroupsandincreasedoppor -
tuniesforchildrentoparcipateatthevillage,area,districtandnaonallevels.
Further study of these groups would be of great interest. This could be used to
clarifythenumbersofchildrenacvelyinvolved,howthegroupsfuncon,the
relaonshipsbetweenthegroupsatdierentlevels,andtheimpactofchildrens
parcipaonondecision-making26.
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CaseStudyMALAWI |27
Fromtheconsultaonsconductedduringtheevaluaonandthecasestudyvisit,
therewasanecdotalevidencetosuggestthatchildrensparcipaonhadhada
posiveimpact.
Childrenwerereportedandwereobservedtobemorearculate,condentand
pro-acvethanatthemeofthebaselinestudyin2006.Forexample,onegroup
ofchildrenacvelyseekshelpfromtheirlocalVillageSupportUnits(VSUs).As
theoneofpolicementoldus:thechildrencomeandtalktousandaskusto
visittheircommuniestodiscusstheirproblems.Villagechildadvocacygroups
inthreecommuniesinKasunguhavebeenabletofacilitatethereporngof
severalcasestopolice,someoftheminvolvingissuesofwitchcra.
In Kasungu there appeared to be a growing acceptance of the importanceof childrensparcipaonbycommunies and the authories.Asone of the
DistrictChildLabourOcerssaid: Childrensparcipaonisnowagiveninall
ourprojectsandacvies.Thereisalsoagrowingrealisaonbythepartnersin
theprojectthatwhenchildrenexpresstheirviews,thoseviewsneedtobegiven
due weight in the decision-making process.
Chllngs to chilrns prcipon
There are, however, many challenges to progress. NGO workers feel that, in
ordertogainadultsacceptanceofchildrensrighttoparcipate,itisnecessarytoemphasisechildrensresponsibiliesaswell astheirrights.Forculturaland
economic reasons, adults fear that children will become too demanding. Some
childrenarediscouragedbyparentsandotherchildrentobecomeinvolvedin
childproteconacvies.
Thereareformsofabuseofwhichchildrenareaware,butwhicharedicultto
discuss,suchaschildrenbeingtaughtwitchcra,andtheabuseofchildrenby
relaves.Onechildtoldus:Abusebyrelavescannotberevealed,otherwisethe
childwillbedrivenoutofthehouse.
Eortsaremadetoincludechildrenfrommarginalisedgroups,suchasthosewith
disabiliesandworkingchildren.Althoughthisischallenging,thereareinstances
of children from these groups holding leadership roles. Many groups of vul-
nerablechildren,suchasthoseworkingonthetobaccoestates,donothavethe
meorthebasicresources(food,soap,clothing)toaendcommunitygroups,
andmanyliveawayfromtheirhomesandcommunies.Thereisatendencyfor
the community to discriminate against these children.
Naonally,itisonlythedistrictsinwhichPlanisworkingthathaveasystemac
process for selecng members of the Childrens Parliament. There are also
problemsinensuringthattheresoluonsoftheChildrensParliamentaregiven
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dueweightbythegovernment.Althoughaparliamentarycommieehasbeen
assigned to take responsibility to follow up the resoluons of the Childrens
Parliamentandensurethattheyareactedupon,theirmandateandmethodof
working is not yet clear.
Th otcoms of commnit bs rsponss
Consultaonswithchildrenandcommuniesaspartoftheevaluaonrevealed
someconsistentlyreportedposivechangesresulngfromtheworkofthecom -
munitycommieesandvolunteers.Itwasnotedthatparentsarepayingmore
aenontotheirchildrenswelfareandhygiene,andweremorelikelytosend
themtoschool.Itwasalsofeltthattherehadbeenareduconinchildmarriages
andinchildabuseinthecommunies,parcularlyviolentsexabusecases.
Respondentsthoughtthatfewerparentsweresubjecngtheirchildrentoharm -
fultradionalpracces that keepthemoutofschool, suchasconninga girl
duringherrstmenstruaonevenduringschoolhours.Inaddion,sometradi-
onalpracceshadbeenmodiedtoeliminatetheirharmfuleectsonchildren.
Therewasincreasedreporngofchildabusecases,andinafewcasestherehave
beensomesuccessfulprosecuons.Forexample,twocasesofdelementwere
reportedfromNkandaTradionalAuthorityofMulanje.Theculpritsweresen -
tencedtotenyearsimprisonmentwithhardlabour.Thereporngandprosecu
Trnsforming trionl prccs in th bst intrsts of chilrn
Thetradionof maskeddancerswhofrightenchildrenawayfrom schoolhasnow
beentransformed in somecommunies into aneventthatencourageschildren toaendschool.Themasksarenolongerfrightening,andthedancersaccompanychil-
dren to school.
On of th topics iscss t th 6th Mlwi Chilrns Prlimnt in 2007...
...wastheorganisaonoftheChildrensParliament.Whilstacknowledgingthemanysuc -
cessesoftheChildrensParliament,severalconcernswerenoted.Theseincludedthelack
ofaneecvedemocraceleconsystematthedistrict,regionalandnaonallevels.The
formaonbyPlananditspartnersofthechildrensgroupsatthecommunity,areaanddis-
trictlevelsrespondsdirectlytothisconcern,butthesestructuresandprocessesarelacking
indistrictswherePlanisnotpresent.
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CaseStudyMALAWI |29
onofcaseshasmadepeoplemoreawareoftheissue,andciviceducatorsfelt
thatpossibleperpetratorsarenowafraidoftheconsequencesoftheiracons.
Thecommieesplayan importantroleinfacilitangchildrensadvocacygroups
andprovidingsupporttochildren.Theconclusionoftheparcipatoryresearch
onchildworkersinthetobaccoindustrywasthatthepara-civiceducatorsrepre -
sentanimportantresourceforvulnerablechildren.Theresearcherobservedhow
an informal group of child workers, many of whom were orphans, had formed
aroundoneofthepara-civiceducatorswhoprovidedkindnessandsupport,and
thoughtthattherewaspotenalfortheformaonofpeergroupsofchildworkers
undertheguidanceofpara-civiceducators 27.
Theworkofpara-civiceducatorsandchildproteconcommieesisappreciatedbymanycommunitymembers.Onecommieetoldusthatpeoplecome,notjust
from within their own community, but from a distance to discuss problems. The
parenngclassesareparcularlypopularbecausetheyhelpparentsunderstand
howtheycanbehavedierentlytowardstheirchildren.
Volunteersfeelthattheinclusionoftradionalleadersasmembersofthecom-
mieeandaspara-civiceducatorshasincreasedcommunityrecognionoftheir
work.Asthegroupofpara-civiceducatorsinKasungutoldus:Thepara-civicedu-
catorswhoarevillageheadmenlendauthoritytoourwork.Itreinforceswhat
wedo.Itisimportantforpeopletohearthevillageheadmenspeakingthesamelanguage as us.
Th sstinbilit n rch of commnit bs rsponss
Thecommunityresponsetochildproteconhasbeenpromotedbythevolun-
teerismof civiceducators and commieemembers,whichhas addedto the
senseof communityownership.Someofthecommunitychildproteconcom-
mieeshavebeeninexistenceforseveralyearswithminimalmaterialsupport.
Asmembershavedroppedout,newoneshavetakentheirplace.
However,sustainabilityischallenging.Therehasbeenadropoutrateofaround
onethirdofthepara-civiceducatorswhohavebeentrainedinKasungusince
2003.Similarly,aroundonethirdoftheCommunityChildProteconCommiees
trainedinPlansworkingareainKasunguhavebecomeinacve.Thosewhocon-
nuetoworkdosointhefaceofsubstanaldicules,oneofthemostcrical
beingthelackofresourcestopursuetheirwork(suchasmeansoftransportand
communicaon)andtoprovidesupporttochildrenwhoneedit.
27 Clacherty,G.(2008).Hardwork,longhoursandlilepay.Parcipatoryresearchwithchildrenworkingon tobaccofarmsinMalawi.Plan
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Thechild protecon servicesprovided tocommuniesby theareapolice sta-
ons,healthclinicsandmagistratescourtsareverylimitedintermsofqualityand
reach.Whencasesarereported,prosecuonseldomtakesplaceduetopressure
on the child and their family to withdraw the case, or due to the mishandling of
thecasebytheauthories.
Thelackofprosecuonisde-movangforthevolunteers,andcanalsobedan-
gerous(perpetratorsarefreetoreturntothevillageandmaythreatenthem).
Onone occasion, the grandson ofone ofthe para-civic educatorswas physi-
callyassaultedwhenshetriedtohelpawomanwhowasthevicmofdomesc
violence.Despitethis,sheandthecommieeinhercommunityaresllacve.
Askedwhatkeptthemgoing,theyreplied:Itisourownchildrenwearetryingto
protect.Wewanttotrytohelpdeveloptheareafortheirfuture.
Plananditspartnershaveplayedalargeroleinprovidingencouragementand
technicalsupporttocommieesandinlinkingthemwithareaanddistrictser-
vices.UlmatelythisshouldbetheresponsibilityoftheDistrictSocialWelfare
Oces,buttheylackthehumanandnancialresources.
Thenumberofcommuniesthatreceivesupportonchildproteconissllvery
smallandheavilydependentonNGOs.InKasungu,communitycommieesand
childrensgroupshavebeenestablishedandtrainedinonly13outof30areas
withinthedistrict.Planiniatedtheacvityintheveareasinwhichitworks.Itwasthenscaledupinanaddionaleightareasthroughajointprojectwiththe
DistrictChildProteconCommiee.
Improvmnts to th istrict rspons to violnc ginst chilrn
Therehasbeenamarkedincreaseinthecollaboraonbetweenthedierent
governmentandcivilsocietychildproteconactorsinthedistrictsinwhichPlan
works, parcularly inKasungu and Lilongwe. Prevenve and responsivechild
proteconacviesarenowjointlyplannedandimplemented,therebymaxi-
misingtheuseofresources,andcontribungtocapacitybuilding.TheKasungu
andLilongweDistrictChildProteconCommieesactasmodelsofsuccessand
receivevisitsfromrepresentavesofotherdistricts.
Ajointprojecttoscaleupcommunitychildproteconcommieesandchildrens
groupsinKasunguwasimplementedthroughamethodofnancialsupportto
localgovernmentthatwasnewforPlanMalawi.Planprovidedafundthatwas
managedbyeachcommieetoextendtheformaonandsupportofchildpro -
teconcommieestotheaddionaleightareas.Thisgeneratedasenseofcom-
mieeownershipandachievement.
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Childproteconisbeinggivengreaterpriorityatthedistrictlevel.Asaresult
of increased community awareness, some areas are now including child protec-
onconcernsinthedevelopmentplanstheysubmittotheDistrict.Thismakes
iteasierfortheDistrictSocialWelfareOcertolobbyfortheinclusionofchild
proteconacviesindistrictdevelopmentplansandbudgets.
Th icls fc b th district Socil Wlfr Ocs
Despitetheadvancesmade,socialworkhasalowpriorityinthedistrictsdueto
thelackofrecognionoftheimportanceofsocialissues,andtotherelavely
weakandunder-fundedposionoftheDistrictSocialWorkOces.
Districtchildproteconbodieslacksucientfundstomonitorthesituaonofchildrenwithinthedistrict,tosuperviseandsupportcommunitycommieesand
volunteers,andtoassistthechildrenthatcometothemforhelp.Inaddion,
thereisnouniformsystemforreporngandmonitoringtheoutcomeofchild
proteconcases,makingitdiculttofollowtrends.
Therearediculesprosecungtheperpetratorsofviolenceagainstchildren.
Thereareseveralreasonsforthis.Casesareoenmishandledbythepoliceand
judiciary.Casesmayalsobewithdrawnwhentheytaketoolongorwhenthe
childisdependentontheperpetrator.Asdescribedabove,thisisdemoralising
forcommuniesandcanposethreatstothesafetyofboththechildandthoseinvolvedinreporngthecases.
Atthedistrict,areaandcommunitylevels,childproteconcoordinangbodies
areanchored inMalawisdecentralisedsystemoflocalgovernment.However,
Malawiissllinastateoftransiontothedecentralisedsystem,whichisnot
yetfullyfunconal.Theexistenceanddegreeoffunconalityofthesestructures
variesbetweendistrictsandlocaliesanddependsonthesupportofNGOs.
Stps forwr in improving th nonl chil protcon sstm
Plan,togetherwithotheractors,hascontributedtoprogressinmanycompo-
nentsofMalawisnaonalchildproteconsystem.Forexample,someofthe
Naonal TechnicalWorkingGroup on ChildProtecons recommendaons to
theconstuonalreviewwereagreedandwillbereectedinthenewlydraed
constuon.Theseincludetheharmonizaonoftheageofthechildwiththe
provisionsoftheConvenonontheRightsoftheChild.
Followingimprovementstothepreviouspolicaldeadlockinparliament,there
isnowmovementonsomeofthechildfocusedlegislaontowhichcivilsociety
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hascontributed. TheNaonalRegistraonBill,whichmakesbirth registraon
compulsory,wasnallypassedbytheNaonalAssemblyinNovember2009.The
vericaonofchildrensagesfacilitatestheprosecuonofchildabusecases.The
ChildCare,ProteconandJusceBillthatprovidesgreaterproteconforchildren
was passed in June, 2010.
TheproduconofashadowreportontheCRCbytheHumanRightsConsulta-
veCommieeprovidedvaluableaddionalinformaontotheCommieeon
the CRC; this informaonwas included in its ConcludingObservaonstothe
MalawianGovernment.TheseConcludingObservaonswillformthebasisfor
futureadvocacytogovernmentonchildprotecon.
Theparcipatorychildlabourresearch 28andthenaonalconferenceonchildlabourresultedinthereconveningoftheNaonalTechnicalWorkingGroupon
ChildLabourandtheapprovalofanaonalpolicyonchildlabour.TheNaonal
LabourOcealsoproducedanaonalreporngframeworkonchildlabour.
a nonl nvironmnt tht rmins vr chllnging
Despitethesesteps forward, thenaonalenvironment forchildproteconre-
mains challenging.Although,asmenonedabove, there have been improve-
mentsinlegislaon,therearemanypolicyandoperaonalproblems.
a goo xmpl of coorint nonl ort on chil protcon
InresponsetotheUNVACstudy,in2007,theNaonalTechnicalWorkingGroupon
ChildProteconiniatedamul-yearStopChildAbuseCampaign.Thiscampaignwas
implementedeveryyearforthreeyears.TheaimoftheCampaignwastobreakthe
silenceonchildabuseandtoprovideopportuniesforopendiscussionsonissues
suchaschildlabour,sexualabuse,childtracking,earlymarriagesandotherharmfulculturalpracces.TheStopChildAbusecampaignhastargetedpolicymakers,service
providersand thegeneralpublicthroughradioandtelevisionmessages,billboards,
leaets,factsheets,postersandhandbooks.Theresultsofthiscampaignarecurrently
being compiled.
28 Clacherty,G.(2008).Hardwork,longhoursandlilepay.Parcipatoryresearchwithchildrenworkingon tobaccofarmsinMalawi.Plan
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29 VicmSupportUnitsarelocatedwithinpolicestaonsandprovidesupporttowomenandchildrenwho
arevicmsofviolence.Thestaaretrainedtodealwithchildreninanappropriate,childfriendlymanner
andoercounsellingandmediaonservicesandfacilitatereferraltootherservices.Recentlytheyre- ceivedtraininginplaytherapy.
CoordinaonisimpededbytheoverlappingmandatesofthemanyMinistriesthat
haveresponsibilityforchildwelfare.Forexample,thereareseparateMinistries
for ChildrenwithDisabiliesandforYouth,aswellastheusualministriesof
health,educaon,homeaairs,jusce,andlabour.Thismeansthattherearedif-
culesinachievingcoordinaonanddevelopingauniedapproachtochildrens
issues.Thislackofcoordinaonmakesthedevelopmentofacomprehensivechild
proteconpolicyoranaonalplanofacondicult,andtheabsenceofaunify -
ingagendafurtherimpedescoordinaon.
TheNaonalTechnicalWorkingGroupwasveryacvebetween2005and2007
whileUNICEFprovideddirectnancialsupporttothemeengs.Sincethiswas
withdrawn,thenumberofmeengsandaendancerateshavediminished.The
momentumthatwasgainedincoordinaonandgainingconsensusontheshapeofthenaonalchildproteconsystemhasbeenlost.TheMinistryofGender,
Children and Community Development has diculty in taking the lead, and
governmentdepartmentsandNGOsarenotworkingeecvelytogether,result -
inginaninecientuseofresources.
Services torespondtocasesofviolenceagainst childrenarepresentin some
areas,buttheyarelargelyreacve,andcoverageandqualityis limited.Newly
introducedchildproteconservicemodelsalsolack scale.Forexample,there
areChildrensCourtsonlyin4districts,theOmbudsmanisonlyphysicallyre-
presentedin3districts,andthereareonly34vicmsupportunits(VSUs)29
inpolicestaonsnaonwide.
Dierent ministries, such as the
Naonal LabourOce have their
own data management systems
and there is no comprehensive,
unifyingnaonaldatabaseonchild
protecon,whichmakesitdicult
to track trends and outcomes.
Although ministry funding for child
protecon has declined recently,
there are dicules in absorbing
and spending available resources
due to a lack of human resources
andproblemsofpolicalwill.
PolicestainaVSUinKasungudistrictpolice
staonfromtheKalulumaarea
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Componnt
Nonl chil
protcon
lgislon, polic
n progrmms
Coorinon
within th chil
protcon sstm
n with othr
sctors
Chilrns
prcipon
Pblic wrnss
n spport
ecv chil
protcon
srvics
ecv qlit
stnrs
Knowlg nt gnron
n mngmnt
Finncil n
hmn rsorcs
Stts
RecentpassageoflegislaoninlinewiththeCRC,suchastheRegistraonAct,but
manyaspectsoflegislaonsllnotinlinewiththeCRC.
Recentadoponofanaonalchildlabourpolicy,butalackofunifyingnaonalpoliciesand
strategicplansforotheraspectsofchildprotecon.
MinistryofGendertakestheleadonchildprotecon,butresponsibilityforchildrenis
spreadovermanyministrieswithoverlappingmandates,makingcoordinaondicult.
FunconingmuldisciplinaryNaonalTechnicalWorkingGrouponChildProtecon,
coordinatesnaonallevelchildproteconwork,butthelevelofitsacvityhasdeclined
overthelast3years.
Inadequatemainstreamingofchildproteconbylineministries.
Jointacviesimplemented,suchastheStopChildAbuseCampaign.
MuldisciplinaryDistrictChildProteconCommieesfunconalinsomedistricts,butthis
variesanddependsonNGOsupport.
Insucientsupportfromthenaonaltothedistrictlevel.
Verylimitedsupportfromthedistrictchildproteconservicestocommunitychildprotec
onresponses.
ChildrensparcipaoniniavesimplementedbyNGOs,butthereisalackofopportunity
forchildrentoarculatetheirissuesinmanydistricts.
FunconingNaonalChildrensParliament,whichiswellrespected.
Inmanydistrictsthereisnoclearprocessfortheseleconandpreparaonofdelegatesto
theChildrensParliament.
Lilefollowupoftheissuesthatthechildrenraise.
Progresshasbeenmadeingenerangpublicsupportforchildproteconthroughthe
celebraonofanniversarydays,mediacampaigns,suchastheStopChildAbuseCampaign,
andradioprogrammessuchasPlansTimveniproject.
Theatudeofthepublictowardschildrensrightsissllverychallenging.NGOworkers
feelthatitisnecessarytoincludetheconceptofchildrensresponsibilies,aswellastheir
rights, to gain cultural acceptance.
Newchildproteconservicesbeingdevelopedandpiloted,suchChildCourtsin4districts.
Limitedcoverageandqualityofchildproteconservices.
There are some standards and guidelines in place.
Limitedsupportandsupervisionfromnaonaltodistrictanddistricttoarea.
Anaonalchildprotecondatabaseislacking. Dierentministries,suchastheNaonalLabourOce,havetheirowndatamanagement
systems.
Lackofcoordinaonofdatagatheringatthedistrictlevel.
Ministryfundingforchildproteconhasdeclinedrecently.
Theministryhasdicultyinabsorbingandspendingresources.
Thereisarealshortageofresourcesatdistrictlevel.
Boththeministryandthedistrictsoperatemainlyonprojectfunding,whichmakesit
diculttobuildcoherentservices.
Communieshavenotbeenabletomobiliseadequateresourcesfortheirownchild
proteconacvies.
Lackofskilledhumanresourcesatalllevels.
Socialworkerstrainedtoalowerlevelthanpeersinotherministrieswhichmakesitdicult forthemgetpriorityforchildprotecon.
Tking th tmprtr - progrss towrs nonl chil protcon
sstm in Mlwi
ThetablesummarisesthesituaoninMalawiinrelaontotheessenalcom-ponentsofanaonalchildproteconsystem.Thesummarywasdrawnmainlyfromthe resultsofa one-dayworkshop with sta fromPlan and its partner
organisaons..
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6. Lssons Lrnt n Bst Prccs
6.1. Prsrving th bst intrsts of th chil
TheCRC spulates that thebest interestsofthe childshouldbetheprimary
consideraoninallaconsconcerningthechild.Determiningwhatisinthebest
interestsofthechildinrelaontoviolaonsoftheirrighttoproteconisfre-
quently challenging, parcularly invery resourcepoor environments suchas
Malawi,wherethelackofresourceslimitstheoponsthatareavailable.
Theconsequencesofreporngcasesofabusetotheauthoriesmaybedeeply
traumasingtothechildandtohisorherfamily.Ifthefamilyisdependentfor
theirlivelihoodontheperpetrator,conviconandincarceraonputsthewhole
family at risk. If cases are reported but the perpetrator is released, he may seekrevengeandthreatenthechildandthosewhohavehelpedhimorher.Thechild
maybere-vicmisedorsubjecttosoluonsagreedbythefamiliesandtradi -
onalauthoriesthatareprejudicial,suchasmarriagetoadeler.
DuetotheDistrictAuthorieslackofresources,childrenwhoarewithdrawnfrom
childlabourhavebeenlewithoutsupportandwithoutthemeansofreturning
home.Thisclearlyleavesthemopentofurtherexploitaon.
Thecurrentlackofauniformreporngsystemmakesthemonitoringofreported
casesandthetrackingofoutcomesdicult.Itistheresponsibilityofallorgani -
saonsworkingonchildprotecontoensurethattheiraconsdonotresultin
childrenbeingplacedinaworsesituaonaerreporngtheircasesthanbefore.
Forexample,theKasunguDistrictSocialWelfareOceislookingatalternaves
totheincarceraonofperpetratorswhohavedependentfamilies,suchassome
formofcommunityservice.Thecurrentlawallowsforthisprovisionbutthereare
diculesinmonitoringandenforcingcompliance.
Praccalstepsaimedatpreservingthebestinterestsofthechildarelistedin
secon7.1.
6.2. Chilrns Prcipon
TheexperienceinMalawidemonstratesthatprogressonchildrensparcipaon
canbeachievedineventhemostdicultandunpromisingculturalsituaons,but
thatitisalearningprocessforbothchildrenandadultsthatrequiressustained
eortoveraperiodofme.Someparcularinsightsinrelaontochildrens
parcipaonthatemergedfromtheprojectarediscussedintheseconsbelow.
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Qlit prciptor rsrch with n b chilrn to inform rsponss
to violnc ginst chilrn
Parcipatoryresearchwithchildrenisanessenaltoolforunderstandingchildrens
experiencesandperspecves.Itfrequentlychallengestheassumponsmadeby
adultsabouthowchildrenthinkandperceivetheirsituaon.Forexample,there -
searchconductedbyPlanwithagroupofchildworkersfromthetobaccoestates
demonstratedthat themajorityofchildrenwereworkingoftheirownaccord,
becausetheywantedtocontributetothesurvivaloftheirverypoorfamiliesand
topayfortheirowneducaon 30.
Theclearimplicaonsoftheresearchwasthat,whilefamiliesinMalawiremain
extremelypoor,waysshouldbefoundthatenablechildrentoconnueworkinginimprovedcondions,whilstbeingabletogotoschool.Thiswouldnecessitate
thedevelopmentofexibleformsofschoolingthatcanaccommodateworking
children.
Th prcipon of mrginlis grops
Theparcipaonofmarginalisedgroupsischallenging,parcularlyin thevery
poorcircumstancesofMalawianvillages.Nevertheless, theawarenessof chil-
drenandadultstothesituaonandrightsofthesegroupsneedstoberaised,and
mechanisms found to promote their inclusion.
Childrenwithdisabiliescanbeencouragedtojoincommunity-basedgroups.
Othergroups,suchaschildrenworkingonthetobaccoestates,whoareoen
livingawayfromhome,maybenetfromtheirowngroupsformutualsupport
andtopresentaunitedvoicetotheiremployers.
Chilrns prcipon s th bckbon of forml n non-forml
chil protcon sstms
Planhasstriventoopenspacesforchildrensparcipaonthroughtheformaon
ofchildrensgroupsandthefacilitaonofchildrensparcipaonatvillage,area
anddistrictlevels.Thishasenabledchildrenfrompoorruralandurbancommu-
niestohaveadialoguewithserviceprovidersandpolicymakersatalllevels,
leadingtogreateracknowledgementoftheirrighttoparcipateandthevalueof
theirparcipaon,aswellassomeprogresstowardstheinstuonalisaonof
childrensparcipaonthroughtheirparcipaoninVillageDevelopmentCom-
miees.
30 ExploitaonofchildrenfortheirlabourisregardedbytheCRCasaproteconissueandbytheUNStudy
onViolenceAgainstChildrenasoneformofviolence.PlanhasbeenencouragingtheDistrictChildLabour
andChildProteconCommieestoworkinclosecollaboraon.InKasunguandLilongweDistrictstheyact as one body.
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Theformaonofchildrensgroupshasalsoallowedchildrenfromthedistrictsin
whichPlanworkstoberepresentedinamoreauthencmannerintheNaonal
ChildrensParliament,andgivenopportuniesforelectedchilddelegatestogain
condenceandexperienceastheyprogressthrougheachlevel.
ensring tht chilrns viws r givn wight in cision-mking
Onceopportunieshavebeenopenedforchildrentoparcipate,thereisthe
needtoensuretheirviewsaretakenintoconsideraonandinformdecision-
making.Forexample,whenagirlaskedforthechildproteconprojecttobe
extendedtoherareaduringadistrictassemblyinKasungu,PlanandtheDistrict
ChildProteconCommieefeltthattheyneededtotakethisrequestseriously.
ThisledtothescalingupoftheCommunityChildProteconCommieesandChildrensAdvocacyGroupsbytheDistrictChildProteconCommieetoanad-
dionaleightareasinthedistrict.
TheChildrensParliamentisaniniavethatiswellregarded,buttherearedif-
culesinensuringthattheviewsexpressedbythechildrenareconsideredand
acteduponbythegovernment.TheSocialandCommunityParliamentaryAairs
Commieehasbeengiventhetaskoffollowingupontherecommendaonsof
theChildrensParliament,buthowitshouldgoaboutthisinpracceisnotyet
clear.
6.3. Commnit chil protcon rsponss
Promongnon-formal responses toviolenceagainstchildren that are in their
bestinterestsiscrical,parcularlyinresource-poorenvironmentswherepro -
gresstowardsqualityandcoveragebyformalchildproteconsystemsisslow.
Promong posiv, non-violnt bhviors
Childproteconworkhastendedto focusontheresponsetoviolenceagainst
children.Thebalanceneedstoberedressedtowardsprevenon,researchandaconontherootcausesofviolencetowardsbothgirlsandboys.Therearemany
aspectstotheprevenonofviolenceagainstchildren,oneofwhichisthepromo-
onofposiveatudesandbehaviourstowardschildren.
Themostpopularservicethattheciviceducatorsprovideistheparenngclasses.
Thesehelpparentstolistentotheirchildren,andgivethemideasaboutposive
methodsofdiscipline.Workingwithparentsandcommuniestodevelopposi -
vealternavestoauthoritarianandviolentwaysof raisingchildreniscrical;
withoutthis,adultsdonothavethetoolswithwhichtochangetheirbehaviour.
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31 Wessels,M.(2009).Whatarewelearningaboutprotecngchildreninthecommunity?Aninteragency
reviewoftheevidenceoncommunitybasedchildproteconmechanismsinhumanitariananddevelop-
mentsengs.SavetheChildren.32
Wilfried Schrfetal.(Undated).Access to jusce forthe poorof Malawi?An appraisal ofaccess to
jusceprovidedtothepoorofMalawibythelowersubordinatecourtsandthecustomaryjusceforums.www.gsdrc.org/docs/open/SSAJ99.pdf
Eveninculturesinwhichcorporalpunishmentisanacceptednorm,welldesigned,
parcipatoryparenngclassescanleadtoresoluonsbyparentstoabandoncor-
poralpunishmentandtorequireschoolteacherstodothesame.
Biling commnit chil protcon rsponss on xisng prccs
n cpcis
Researchoncommunitychildproteconresponsesindicatesthattheyaremost
eecvewhentheybuildonexisngresourcesandcapacies,andinvolvecom-
munity leaders 31.Theprojectexperiencebearsthisout.Civiceducatorsfeltthat
trainingvillagechiefsasciviceducatorsincreasessupportfortheirworkwithin
thecommunity.Ontheotherhand,whenthevillageleadersfailtosupportthem,
theyarevulnerabletothreatsfromperpetrators.
Theinvolvementofvillagechiefsincommunitychildproteconresponsesalso
facilitatestheabandonmentofharmfultradionalpraccesortheirtransforma-
ontoformsthatpreservethebestinterestsofchildren.
InMalawi,thevastmajorityofdisputesaresllresolvedthroughaprimaryjus-
cesystempresidedoverbyvillagechiefs,usingcustomarylaw.Customarylaw
inMalawiisrestoraveandorientedtowardspreservingsocialharmony.Itthere-
foretendstopreservesocialnormsthatdiscriminateagainstthevulnerable,and
arefrequentlyprejudicialtowomenandchildren32
.
The DFID-fundedMalawi Security and Access to Juvenile Jusce programme
soughttodeveloptheprimaryjuscesysteminMalawitoincludeabroaderrange
ofactors, including CBOs,NGOs, faith basedorganisaons and service provi-
ders,andthusimproveitsresponsivenessandaccountabilitytowardsvulnerable
groups.Therelaonshipbetweencommunitybasedchildproteconresponses
andtheexisngprimaryjuscesystemsisclearlyacricalone,andfurtherwork
needs to be done to clarify it.
Importnc of volntrism n qt spport to volntrs
TheimportanceofvoluntarismbythemembersoftheChildProteconCommit-
teesisillustratedbythediculesexperiencedinthedistrictofMulanjewhere
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CaseStudyMALAWI |39
anumberofNGOswereprovidingnancialincenvestovolunteers.Thisunder-
minedthesenseofcommunityownershipofdevelopmentacviesandledto
diculesinsustainingthecommunityresponse.
Intheotherdistrictsinwhichtheprojectwasimplemented,therewasasubstan -
aldropout,butmanyofthetrainedciviceducatorsandchildproteconcom -
mieeshaveremainedacveandcommiedoverseveralyears.Thisisdespite
manydiculesandchallenges,includingthreatstotheirpersonalsafetyanda
lack of means to do their work.
Theseexperiencesunderlinetheneedtodevelopclearpoliciesthatupholdthe
valueofvolunteerism,butmakeadequateprovisionforthetraining,supportand
securitythatvolunteersneedtofulltheirroles.
DuetotheDistrictSocialWelfareOceslackofresources, long-termsustain-
ablesoluonstosupporngtheworkofcommunityvolunteersarenoteasyto
develop,andwilldependoncivilsocietyforsomemetocome.Agenciesneedto
thinkcreavelyaboutthis.ThecoregroupofciviceducatorsinKasunguhasnow
beenworkingtogetherforseveralyears.Theyholdtheirownmonthlymeengs
todiscusstheirwork,andinviteresourcepeopletocometotalktothem.Plan
couldconsiderdevelopinggroupssuchastheseasCBOsthatcanhandletheir
ownfunds,andaresupportedtodevelopthecapacitytoaccessfundsfromother
sources.
Scrit for commnit n chilrns grops ngg with violnc
ginst chilrn
Addressingviolenceagainstchildrenchallengestaboosandpowerrelaonsbe -
tweenmen,women,andgirlsandboys.Perpetratorsoenusetheirpersonal
wealthandstatustobribeocialsandtradionalleaderstoavoidprosecuon,
andtheymayseekrevengeagainsttheirvicmsandthosewhohaveassisted
them.Thereis,therefore,arealneedtoconsiderthesecurity,notonlyofthevic-
msofviolence,butalsoofthemembersofthechildrensgroupsandtheadult
volunteerswhoworkontheissue.
Althoughthepoliceareincludedinthemul-disciplinarycoordinaonbodiesat
naonalanddistrictlevels,withincommuniestherehasoenbeencompe-
on rather thancollaboraonbetweencommunitypolicing andchildprotec-
onvolunteers.Communitypolicingvolunteersarenottrainedtodealwithchild
vicmsofviolenceandarethereforeoflimitedassistancetochildprotecon
volunteers.
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Thereisaneedforgreatercollaboraonbetweenorganisaonsworkingonchild
proteconandthepoliceatalllevels,includingthecommunitylevel,withtraining
forthepoliceandpolicingvolunteers.Theinvolvementoftradionalauthories
asdiscussedpreviouslyisalsocrucial.
Oneofthedangersofgreaterinvolvementofthepoliceandtradionalleaders
inchildproteconmaybetheabuseoftheirauthority.Adequatetraining,and
balancingtheirinvolvementwiththatofchildren,communitymembersandcivil
societyorganisaons,shouldhelptoguardagainstthisrisk.
6.4. a ml-lvl pproch
achiving blnc btwn mpowring chilrn n commnis,
n spporng n vocng for th biling of forml chil protc-
on srvics
Malawiismakingprogress,thoughslowly,indevelopingthelegislaon,policies,
structuresandprocesses that are necessary toputaneecve naonalchild
proteconsysteminplace.Therearemanyimpedimentstoprogress,giventhe
social,economicandpolicalchallengesthatthecountryfaces.Formalchildpro -
teconservicesarecurrentlyonlyabletoreachafraconofthepopulaon.
Communitybasedapproachestochildproteconhavethepotenaltoempower childrenand communies to idenfy and address their own child protecon
issues. They can contribute to changing social norms, re-orientang peoples
behaviour and reducing violenceagainst children in amore immediate,cost-
eecveandculturallysensivemannerthanthelong-termeortofgenerang
systemic change.
However,asawarenessofchildproteconissuesisraised,peopleexpectand
demandthattheauthoriestakeappropriateacon.Thechildrenconcerned,
their families and community volunteers are deeply de-movated by the
authoriesinaconandthemishandlingofcaseswhichresultsinperpetratorsbeingfreed.Thesuccessfulprosecuonofjustonecasesendspowerfulsignals
thatsuchbehaviourisnottobetolerated.
Progressthereforeneedstobemadeonbothfronts,theeortslinkedandsup-
portedbymediacampaignsinordertotakeadvantageofsynergiesandmaximise
impact.
Th importnc of coorinon mchnisms
ThenaonalexperienceinMalawiillustratestheimportanceofeecvecoor-
dinaonmechanismsinthedevelopmentofeecvechildproteconsystems.
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Aspreviouslystated,between2005and2007, theNaonalTechnicalWorking
GrouponChildProteconwasveryacve,andmuchwasachievedintermsof
thedevelopmentofavisionforchildprotecon,andthecoordinaonofeort
betweengovernmentandnon-governmentorganisaons.However,asUNICEF
reduced its direct support tothe acviesof theNaonal TechnicalWorking
Group, frequency ofmeengs and aendancedwindled, and the Ministryof
Genderwasunabletollthevacuum.
By2010,therewasapalpablelossofleadershiponchildprotecon,andcivil
societyrepresentavesreportedthatdierentactorswereworkingindependently,
leadingtoduplicaonofeortandthedevelopmentofparallelstructures.
Future progress in building a coherent, holisc naonal child protecon sys-temdependsonconnuedeortstodevelopandsustaincoordinaonmecha -
nisms.CivilsocietyneedstodiscusswiththeMinistryofGenderhowthiscanbe
achieved.
Currentlycivilsocietyitselfalsolacksanaonalcoordinangbodyfororganisa -
onsworkingonchildrensrights.Thereisaconsensusthatthisvacuumneedsto
belledinordertouniteeortsandstrengthentheircollecvevoice.
Coordinaonmechanismsareequallyimportantatthedistrictlevel.Wherethe
District Child ProteconCommiees are funconingwell, advances are beingmadeinraisingtheproleofchildproteconanddevelopingdistrictlevelchild
proteconservices.
n joint plnning n implmnton
IntheMalawiancontext,governmentiscurrentlyunabletomeet itsresponsi-
biliestofullchildrensrighttoprotecon.The intervenonofcivilsocietyis
necessary toworkwith children andcommunies toempowerthem to iden-
fyandaddresstheirownchildproteconissues,andtolobbygovernmentfor
thesupportandservicesthattheyneed.Civilsocietyalsohasaroletoplayin
developingmodelsofgoodpracceandstrengtheninggovernmenttomeettheir
obligaons.
Experience inMalawi indicates that thebuildingof coherent child protecon
systems isbestachievedthrough joint planningand implementaon between
civilsocietyandlocalandnaonalgovernment.Thispromotescoordinaonand
collaboraon andhelps to raise thecapacity ofgovernment staanddepart-
ments.Itbuildstheirsenseofaccountabilityfortheirresponsibilies,ratherthan
bypassingandalienangthem.
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7. Conclsions n Rcommnons
TheexperienceofPlanMalawionworkingtocombatviolenceagainstchildren
throughitsmul-levelapproachhasbeenrichinlearning.Ithasworkedonthisissueinasustainedmannerforovereightyearsandhastakenstepstoreviewits
performanceandtheoutcomesofitseorts.
TheseconclusionsandrecommendaonsaredrawnfromthePlanMalawiexperi-
ence,andarebasedonthendingsoftheliteraturereview,theprojectevalua-
on,andtheprojectvisit andworkshop. They are largelyorientated towards
Plan,itsmanagementandprogrammesta,butareofrelevancetocivilsociety
actorsinMalawiandinothercountries.Theyarealsoofrelevancetothewider
childproteconmovement,whichisstrivingtoestablishasecureevidencebase
on which strategies and ways of working can be grounded.
7.1. Strngthn chil cntr pprochs
TheexperienceofPlananditspartnersinMalawiindicatesthevalueof,andthe
needfor,achildcentredapproachtochildproteconprogrammingatalllevels.
Achildcentredapproachmeanspunginplacepraccalmechanismstoensure
that what is done is in the best interests of girls and boys. It also means that chil-
drensrighttobeheardisrespectedandthattheirviewsaregivendueweight
inchildproteconiniavesatalllevels,andthattheseiniavesareinclusive
ofallchildrenandworktoreducethesgmathatchildrenaectedbyviolence
oenface.
Child centred approaches requiresupportover aperiodofyears toallow the
profoundchangesthatarenecessaryinatudesandbehaviourtowardschildren
tobeadoptedandsustained.Praccalstepstowardsa childcentredapproach
include:
Qualityparcipatoryresearchwithchildrentoinformpolicyandpracce.
Establishingresponsestothesituaonofchildrenthatarebasedontheir
lifecircumstancesandrealies.
Childrensparcipaonas akey componentof formal andnon-formal childproteconsystems,withparcipatorystructuresinstuonalisedat
alllevels.
Promongtheparcipaonofmarginalisedgroupsofchildren.
Addressingthegenderdimensionofviolenceagainstchildren.
Ensuring that childrensviewsaregivendueweight andactedupon in
decision-making.
Workingonprevenonandpromongposivechangesinatudesand
behaviourtowardschildren.
Promongthetransformaonoftradionalmethodsofconictresolu-
onsothatthedecisionsmadeareinthebestinterestsofchildren.
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Training service providers and establishing child friendly formal child
proteconprocedures. Developingcommunity-basedpsychosocialsupportforchildrenwhohave
experiencedviolence.
Monitoringthe outcomesofreported casesand usingthe informaon
gainedtoimproveformalandnon-formalprocessesforresolvingcasesof
violenceagainstchildren.
7.2. Spport n scrit for commnit-own chil protcon
rsponss
Communitybasedresponsesareessenalfortheprevenonofviolenceagainstchildren,andasameansofre-orientangadultatudesandbehaviourstore -
spect the dignity, worth and personal integrity of children. Community ownership
andbuildingresponsesonexisngposivepraccesisnecessaryforsustained
eortbycommunitygroups.
Tofunconadequately,thesegroupsneedsucientsupportfromformalchild
proteconservices(orcivilsocietyinitsabsence).Inviewofthesensivenature
ofchildproteconandthewaythatitchallengessocialnormsandpowerstruc-
tures,aenonalsoneedstobepaidtothesecurityofadultandchildrensgroups
againstperpetratorswhomayseekrevenge.
AnalysisofthechildproteconworkofPlanMalawisuggeststhatthefollowing
aconsarenecessarytobuildsafe,secureandsustainedcommunityownedchild
proteconresponses.
Promongposivebehaviourstochildrenthroughsuchmeansasparen-
ngclasses.
Involvingtradionalleadersinchildprotecontrainingandcommunity
groups.
Re-orientangharmfultradionalpraccestobesupporveofchildren.
Promong thetransformaonofprimaryjuscesystemstomakedeci-sions in the best interests of children.
Establishingclearvolunteerpolicies,butsupporngvolunteergroupsto
managetheirownfundsandtoaccessresourcesfromdiversesources.
Buildingthecapacityoflocalformalchildproteconsystemstoprovide
support to volunteers in the handling and mediaon of cases and/or
strengtheningcivilsocietycapacitytoprovidesupport.
Workingincollaboraonwiththelocalandcommunitypolice,andtradi-
onalandcommunityleaderstosecurethesafetyofvolunteers.
Supportimprovements in theformal childproteconsystemtoensure
that reported cases are handled appropriately.
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44 |CaseStudyMALAWI
7.3. Spport to forml chil protcon sstms
Whiletheexpansionofsustainablecommunitybasedchildproteconresponses
isessenaltobuildinglocalenvironmentsinwhichfamiliescanraisetheirchil -
drenwithlove,care,andwiththesupportoftheirneighboursandcommunity
leaders,thisneedstobebalancedbythedevelopmentofformalchildprotecon
systems.Thesearenecessarytosupportcommunityeortsandtoensureanade-
quateresponseto thecasesthatarereportedasaresultofraisedcommunity
awareness.
Thetable, TakingtheTemperatureattheendofSecon5.4. summarisesthe
statusofchildproteconsystemsinMalawi,theprogressthathasbeenmade
andthegapsthatexist.Fillingthosegapswillrequiresustainedeortoverthelong term.
TheexperienceofMalawipointsinparculartothevalueandnecessityofmul-
disciplinarycoordinaonbodiesatnaonalanddistrictlevels.Whenandwhere
theseareworkingwell,thesectorhasbeenrejuvenatedandtherehasbeenin-
creasedmovaonandcollaboraveworkingtogoodeect.Whenthesecoor-
dinangbodiesbecomelessacve,thebiggerpictureislostandorganisaons
begintoworkalonewithalossofsynergyandoverallimpact.
ThiscasestudypointstothefollowingmeansbywhichINGOscansupportthedevelopmentofchildproteconsystems.
Supporngcivilsocietytolobbyforlegislaon,policiesandprogrammes
thatareinaccordancewiththeCRCandotherinternaonalinstruments.
Facilitangmeaningfulchildparcipaoninchildproteconsystems.
Supporngcivilsocietytomonitorandreportonviolenceagainstchildren.
Supportcoordinaonbygovernmentandcivilsocietyatalllevels.
Supportto jointplanning andimplementaonby governmentandcivil
society.
Leveragingincreasedpolicalwill,andincreasedresourcesfromgovern
mentanddonors,byhighlighngtheextentandnatureoftheissuesthat
children face.
Supporngcampaignsofpublicawarenessonviolenceagainstchildren.
Supporttothedevelopmentofcoherent dataand knowledgemanage
ment systems.
Supporttohumanresourcedevelopment.
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CaseStudyMALAWI |45
7.4. Strngthning th rol of locl n nonl civil socit
PlanisunusualasanINGOtohaveapresenceclosetocommuniesaswellas
atdistrictandatnaonallevels.Thishasallowedittoadoptalinkedmul-level
approachtov