Over child Abuse and domestic violence against the Nigerian children, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, has reiterated the need to protect them from all forms molestation in the country.
She mentioned this point in commemoration of the upcoming 2022 Children’s Day Celebration which usually comes up every 27th of May every year, as contained in a press release on their Facebook page.
The Minister seized the occasion to raise awareness on issues of child abuse and other vices affecting children’s well-being, observing that COVID-19 pandemic has taken tolls on livelihood of the parents of the children and has left everyone in fear for the safety and apprehensive of the future of the Nigerian children.
Dame Pauline Tallen also disclosed the theme of this year’s Children’s Day Celebration which is ‘Strengthening supportive systems for the protection of the Nigeria child; A wake up call’, noting that the theme resonates with emerging issues and concerns that have affected the children’s well-being and that there is a need to redouble efforts in the protection of the Nigeria Child from all forms of violence and abuse.
The Minister said that, despite the efforts of Government and other stakeholders in addressing the rate of child vulnerability, ranging from child adoption, forced trafficking, battering, rape, child marriage, forced labor, exploitation and ritual killings perpetrated by close family members and caregivers the menace is increasing daily.
She said, it is more worrisome in the recent increase of violence in schools where children are physically abused online and offline, allegedly perpetrated by their peers and teachers who are supposed to protect and shield them from violence.