and prosecution of incidents of violence against children;
• should have provided for a means of redress and of fighting impunity, as well as
for addressing the root-causes behind harmful practices, including discrimination
against particularly vulnerable children;
• should have removed from all national legislation any legal provisions providing
justification for, or allowing consent to, harmful practices against children,
including on grounds of culture, tradition, honour or religion;
• should have taken legislative and administrative measures, including the review
of legislation and policies, and adopted a comprehensive strategy to eliminate
attacks on, killing of and discrimination against children with albinism;
• should have put in place quality programmes and services to prevent and respond
to violence against children, including by linking with broader social protection
programmes and by promoting and supporting community-based child protection
interventions;
• should have enhanced collective advocacy efforts to promote non-violent values
and awareness raising to transform attitudes condoning or normalising violence
against children at all levels;
• should have facilitated awareness raising regarding child marriage by engaging
with civil society organisations, grass-roots organisations, traditional and religious
leaders and the private sector, including the media;
• should have regulated the use of the media (radio and television) and social media
in abusing children;
• should have adopted legislation abolishing female genital mutilation, sensitised
and trained health care workers to refrain from conducting medicalised forms of
FGM and to educate the community;
• should have increased the percentage of adolescents having access to family
planning services.
By 2020, traditional and religious leaders • should have played a decisive role in the protection of children from violence,
including harmful practices, by using their influential voice to enhance awareness
amongst families and communities about the detrimental impact of harmful
practices on children; to clarify that these practices are not based on or legitimised
by religion; and to support a process of social change that may lead to the permanent
abandonment of these practices.
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