Sweden allocates USD 5.8 m for Child Protection

Sibahle Ndlovu

Sweden’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Her Excellency Ms. Åsa Pehrson,and Dr Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe, Tuesday signed a funding agreement of 5.8 million USD to support child protection programmes in Zimbabwe. 

The fund will support the efforts of the Government of Zimbabwe in five programme areas that are critical to protect children against violence, abuse and exploitation: (1) access to response services for the most vulnerable children through the National Case Management System; (2) prevention of Violence Against Children and Gender Based Violence through interventions that address harmful practices, social and gender norms and behavioural drivers of violence; (3) access to justice for children; (4) access to birth registration services; and (5) policy, legal and regulatory framework improvements.

In a statement, the parties revealed that the funding will be used primarily in ten districts: Binga, Chiredzi, Bulilima, Buhera, Zvishavane, Mbire, Epworth, Beitbridge, Mutasa and Bulawayo. 

“The districts have been selected based on the following key deprivation factors: urban, rural, and peri-urban locations; poorest and vulnerable districts; districts prone to climate shocks; and remote districts to address the leave no one behind dimension”, reads the statement.

 According to the statement funding will also support different key interventions to protect children against violence, abuse, and exploitation

“Sweden believes that an efficient protection is essential to the children’s wellbeing because, as vulnerable people, they are more exposed to issues of mistreatment, exploitation, discrimination and violence,” said  Pehrson.

The Swedish funding is part of the Child Protection Fund III, a multi-donor fund mechanism which is open to all partners interested in supporting the efforts of the Government of Zimbabwe to provide a safe and secure protective environment for children to grow up in.  

‘Sweden has been a long-term partner and donor to the protection sector in Zimbabwe. We are grateful to the Government of Sweden for this new contribution that will enable the fulfilment and realization of children’s rights to protection in Zimbabwe. We hope that many other countries will soon follow Sweden’s example and join the Child Protection Fund’, said Dr Tajudeen Oyewale.

While Zimbabwe has made substantial progress on child protection, including the recent adoption of legislation criminalizing child marriage, progress in the level of birth registration and the roll-out of a child friendly justice system, child protection issues remain a concern.

Almost two out of every three children experience some form of violent discipline. Nearly one third of children as young as 5 to 17 years are working. Of these, more than one out of ten are working under hazardous conditions. One in three girls under 18 experience sexual violence leading to teen pregnancy and early marriage. 21% of girls aged 15-18 are married or in unions.