The Second International Policy Conference on the African Child: Violence Against Girls in Africa

11-12 May 2006

In May earlier this year, The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) organised a conference on Violence against Girls in Africa, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The conference was an opportunity for African women, activists and leaders to come together with the goal of stopping violence against girls in Africa.

The overall objective of the conference was to contribute to the ongoing international effort for effective attitudinal and policy changes towards violence against girls in Africa. Three settings in which girls are subjected to violence had been identified as being principal areas of concern for the conference; violence against girls in the family, at school and in the community. Participants, including representatives of organisations working on human rights and in particularly the rights of women and children were invited to converse on these issues in plenary sessions and panel discussions. Also present to voice their opinions and participate in the discussions were members of children and youth groups, who had been invited and encouraged to present and share their own experiences.

From the proceedings of this conference a declaration was composed and has been submitted to the UN General Assembly. It was the hope of all those present that this document would be used as a vehicle for campaigning with African governments to develop effective policies and programmes against violence against girls. In addition a conference report documenting violence against girls in Africa has been drafted to accompany the declaration.

FORWARD Director Adwoa Kwateng-Kluvitse and FORWARD Founder Efua Dorkenoo represented FORWARD at the conference in Addis Ababa. In particular we were interested in ensuring that our key issues of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage were addressed at the conference. These harmful traditional practices violate the rights of girls and women and have many consequences detrimental to the welfare and development of the girl child, including increased risk of fistula and HIV/AIDS. FORWARD has long been committed to ending violence against girls and women and eagerly awaits positive outcomes of the conference.