Child protection: Educo-Benin in battle order

On the initiative of the NGO Educo-Benin, children and young people from different groups have stepped up to remind public opinion of the need to preserve their rights at all costs. It is through a press conference held last week in Cotonou. This media release is part of the Child Protection Project through Media Communication and Advocacy.

Faced with the magnitude of the phenomenon of violence against minors in Benin, both state and private structures are on standby. The appropriate means are used to stop the bleeding. Educo-Benin, a Non-Governmental Organization known for its verve in the fight against all kinds of violence against children is no exception to the rule. This initiative, which is part of the Child Protection Project through communication via the media and advocacy (PECP) aims to work for the preservation of the rights of children by reporting all forms of violations to which they are subject within the population. The said media outlet brought together the child members of the groups namely U-Report, CCDE, CCNE, school governments, Common Life Skill Mentors… Throughout their speech, the child members of the groups called for a synergy of actions for the protection of the child. Hence the monitoring of the strategies contained in the PECP project. "The implementation of real communication and reporting actions at the national level will therefore be a way out for the reduction of cases of violation of children's rights" said Nadine Béhanzin, representative of U-Report.

Need to ring the alarm bell…

A l’occasion, the alarming picture of violence against minors is presented to media professionals. Indeed, according to figures in the database of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Microfinance, 1520 cases of pregnancies are recorded in 2020 nationally, including 672 victims of sexual violence. The same source reveals that in 2021, 623 cases of pregnancies including 543 cases of victims of sexual violence are documented. The year 2022 which is already tending towards the end is not spared by the phenomenon. While waiting for the final count of the year 2022, 1572 cases of pregnancies including 599 victims of violence are registered. In dehors de ces cas his- mentioned, 2150 victims of trafficking have been recorded including 1106 daughters of 2020 at 2022. A worrying situation that urgently needs to be fought at all costs. This is why Fiacre Akpondéhou and his Educo-Benin team are working on it with the involvement of child protection actors at the national level and the support of UNICEF..

Edmond HOUESSIKINDE