West and Central Africa is home to nearly 237 million children. Of these, 96.5% live in states where they are not legally protected from corporal punishment in the family home and other settings. The Global Initiative’s new report, published jointly with Plan International and Save the Children, reviews progress towards prohibition of corporal punishment of […]
A major new UNICEF report, Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, highlights that violent discipline is the most common form of violence against children and that more than two billion children worldwide are not legally protected from all corporal punishment. Emphasizing that violent discipline violates children’s rights as set forth in […]
The Law on Children and Adolescents 2013, in force 2014, states in article 31 (unofficial translation): “(1) The family must provide a loving and safe environment that allows the full development of children and adolescents and protects them from any actions affecting their personal integrity. (2) In exercising the right to correction parents must always […]
Major new developments reported in the latest issue of the Global Initiative’s newsletter include prohibition of all corporal punishment in Brazil and Bolivia, a meeting of regional inter-governmental organisations which promoted prohibition and a major new UNICEF report which makes the scale of violent punishment of children visible. It gives news of regional developments in […]
The Global Initiative’s popular leaflet summarising progress and delay worldwide towards prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings has been revised and updated, showing significant progress towards universal prohibition since the last (March) edition. Prohibiting all corporal punishment of children: progress and delay (September 2014 edition) presents facts and figures on the global movement towards law reform […]
In this edition of the African newsletter, we are pleased to announce that Cabo Verde has joined the list of states enacting legislation, which prohibits all corporal punishment of children including within the family. With Cabo Verde, there are now 6 African states prohibiting corporal punishment of children in all settings. We hope this newsletter […]
On 17 July 2014, the President of Bolivia signed into law a new Children and Adolescents Code for the country. The Code explicitly prohibits all corporal punishment of children, including in the home. Article 146 provides for the “right to good treatment”, stating (unofficial translation): The child and adolescent has the right to good treatment, […]
The Global Initiative has produced a new briefing, “Young children’s right to an end to all violent punishment.” Young children are among the most likely to experience corporal punishment and are most vulnerable to its many negative effects. Yet despite widespread concern about violence against young children in the home and elsewhere, the legal and […]
The Global Initiative has made a submission to the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and Practice’s call for submissions on Good Practices in the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in Family and Cultural Life. The Global Initiative has made a submission to the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and […]
At its 111th session (7-25 July 2014), the Human Rights Committee raised the issue of corporal punishment of children with the Governments of Georgia, Ireland, Japan and Malawi. The Lists of Issues adopted by the Committee for these states asked for information on progress towards prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings, including the home. In […]