Child Protection

Harare, Zimbabwe- 11 October 2024: 100 years ago on 26 September 1924, the first landmark document to recognise children’s rights was endorsed by world leaders at the Assembly of the League of Nations a forerunner to the United Nations. The document was the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which was authored by Save the Children founder, Eglantyne Jebb.  

To enhance the accessibility of reporting platforms for children, Save the Children, with funding support from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, established two freephone mobile booths at schools in Bulilima and Mangwe districts. The mobile booths are designed to create a secure environment for children to contact the Childline 116 helpline. They serve as vital platforms for children to obtain information, report cases of abuse, and receive psychosocial support.

To promote child rights and foster child-sensitive reporting, Save the Children and the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children (ZNCWC) conducted a two-day training workshop in Matabeleland region. The workshop, which brought together 25 dedicated journalists, aimed to raise awareness and equip them with the essential knowledge and skills to report on children's issues while upholding their dignity and rights.

Thilivhali Vanessa Msipa, a Child Parliamentarian from Zimbabwe participated in the 2021 High Level Political Forum Side Event organised by Save the Children and UNICEF. The event facilitated an engaging debate around child-sensitive social protection, bringing together children and key stakeholders from various parts of the world in an interactive, inter-generational dialogue. The side event which was held virtually, was an opportunity to share good practices, identify new and emerging issues, and discuss how the SDGs can be used as a framework to guide recovery from COVID-19.

Save the Children recently embarked on radio campaign aiming to raise awareness on child online safety. The radio campaign is part of the Spotlight Initiative funded UNICEF project which seek to end online and offline violence against women and girls. The programme is being aired on ZiFM Stereo which is one of the biggest radio stations in Zimbabwe with a wide listenership.