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Statement
By
Ms. Beatrice Hamusonde
Child Rights and Gender Adviser, Plan International, Zambia
CSW 51st session: Elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence
against the girl child
Dear participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
As a child rights activist, it is a great honour for me to have the opportunity to address this
session. I also commend the Commission for choosing to focus on the girl child this year.
1. Over recent years, the world community has begun to open its eyes to the situation of girls
in our societies. At the 1990 World Summit for Children, the rights of girls to equal treatment and opportunities were placed firmly on the international agenda. Girls’ concerns
were also highlighted as critical at the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995. In 1998, the
Commission on the Status of Women, in its 42nd session, focused on adolescent girls. We
welcome these developments and recognise that some progress has been made.
2. However, by and large, girls still tend to be invisible in the discourse on women’s rights. Of
course CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women) applies to girls as well. But girls are not mentioned specifically in the Convention
– and they are also often forgotten in its implementation.
3. When we talk about gender discrimination and violence against women, it is crucial to include the girl child in an overt way. Many girls suffer gender discrimination and violence
just as adult women do. However, as children, they are more vulnerable and need even
more specific and adapted protection. All global policies and action plans that concern
gender discrimination and violence against women should therefore explicitly include the
girl child and take account of her situation as a child.
4. Girls throughout the world are subjected to many violent and discriminatory practices. Often such harmful behaviours are performed in the name of tradition – and even sanctioned
by customary laws. Some practices, like female genital cutting and early marriage, have
been researched and debated. Others are still quite unknown. We in fact know very little
about the magnitude of harmful practices that girls are subject to around the world. The taboo nature of the practices makes it difficult to access and share information.
For example, many girls are forced to participate in initiation rites. These rites mark the
passage from childhood to adulthood, and change a girl’s social and sexual status. Studies
financed by Plan show that besides female genital cutting, such rites may involve enforced
nudity or partial nudity in front of community members, the obligation to provide sexual
services, ritual beatings and rape. These rituals are harmful and degrading.
5. Harmful traditional practices do not merely discriminate against girl children but often constitute severe physical and psychological violence, sanctioned under the banner of culture.
Girls who break traditional gender roles are often punished. Corporal and other forms of
humiliating punishment of children is often legitimised by culture, tradition and/ or discipline. It is very important to uphold positive aspects of tradition and culture. Yet it is crucial
to address those aspects that are detrimental to the survival, participation, protection and
development of girls. These cultural changes must begin from within the culture through a
process of education and empowerment.
6. Such practices are prohibited by the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 37)
and by the CEDAW. It is therefore incumbent on States, the United Nations, women and
child rights organisations and all other stakeholder to work together to ensure that girls
around the world can truly come to experience freedom from violence.
7. NGOs and community-based organisations can play an important role in this process, but
they are not the main duty bearers. States have the primary responsibility to prevent and
protect the rights of girls. According to the CRC (article 19) and the CEDAW (article 2f),
States must take all appropriate measures to modify or abolish existing laws, regulations,
customs and (traditional) practices which constitute discrimination, physical and mental
violence, injury or abuse, neglect, negligent treatment or maltreatment, including sexual
abuse against girls.
8. These obligations on States are reiterated in the UN Study on violence against children
(recommendation 2) and in the Beijing Platform for Action (strategic objective L7).
In conclusion, we therefore encourage States to uphold their obligations:
1. To adopt laws against all forms of violence against children, including harmful traditional practices and corporal and other forms of humiliating punishment and educate/
sensitize the public on the legislation and harms of the prohibited practices.
2. To ensure that perpetrators of harmful practices are held to account for their actions,
as these laws will only have effect if they are enforced (Study on Violence against Children, overarching recommendation 9).
3. To give priority to the prevention of harmful practices involving girl children, by modifying the social and cultural conduct of men and women and creating gender equity. This
means deepening our understanding of these practices and ensuring the participation
of girls and boys at all stages of prevention, as they know their own situation best. It
also means allocating adequate resources for the protection of children and women
(Study on Violence against Children, recommendation 3).
4. To allocate adequate resources for the protection of children and women.
5. To develop and implement national data collection and research on all degrading aspects of traditional practices (Study on Violence against Children, recommendation 11)
and adequately record disaggregated statistical data on girls.
And
6. To provide administrative structures of counseling and support to victims at the local
level.
Thank you very much for your attention.