DILI, 1 June 2022 (TATOLI)– The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) asks the Government to implement three standards for common security and child protection in Timor-Leste.
UNICEF Representative in Timor-Leste, AINHOA JAUREGUIBEITIA said that UNICEF had observed many child situations in Timor-Leste, saying, therefore, UNICEF asked the Government to implement three important standards, including Policy Level, Service Level, and Attitude Level.
“The government should prioritize these three standards because it will help children to access their rights properly,” She said.
JAUREGUIBEITIA explained In the ‘Policy Level’ requires legal advocacy of child protection to ensure children can access their rights. The service level requires the government to provide various facilities to be accessed by children such as Kindergarten, Child centers, Early Education programs, Immunization, etc., and the Attitude Level talks about the behavior of parents, and the teachers to care for children.
“In the early days of a child’s life, sometimes they are faced with violence in several contexts, within the context of the family or the context of society, so to prevent such violence, proper education from home and school is needed to create a safe place for children” UNICEF Representative in Timor-Leste Leste, AINHOA JAUREGUIBEITIA told reporters at the Ba Futuru office, Comoros, June 1, this Wednesday.
In addition, the government should provide a child registration system, to help children get all the rights they deserve.
On the same occasion, the Head of the Department of Child Protection, Ministry of Solidarity and Social Inclusion, Domingus Fernandes said, the Government of Timor Leste is working with development partners to minimize violence against children that can have an impact on children’s lives.
“We hope that the government can immediately approve a child protection law to regulate all activities from the surrounding environment that are detrimental to children’s lives.”
“The child protection law provides a sense of security and protection for children to complain about their rights in childhood life and also protects them from behaviors around them that are detrimental to their lives,” he explained.
Executive Director of Ba Futuru, Juliana De Oliveira Marcal said the government must take responsibility for solving the problem of violence against children by approving a child protection law in Timor-Leste.
“We are observing that lots of children in Timor-Leste are yet to have fully access to their rights. Some children continue to become victims of the family economy. The government through the child protection commission should not allow the child labor,” She added
The NGO BA FUTURE has provided 59 volunteers to provide services for children in various areas including Hera, Bidau, Tasi Tolu, and Manleuana after the country was hit by flash floods on April 4, 2020.
“The services include entertainment and other programs aimed at bringing children out of traumatic situations. This program has benefited more than 1,600 children in several areas in Dili,”
Following the 2016 Ministry of Solidarity and Social Inclusion (MoSSI) data report, MoSSI has recorded a total of 421,655 children across the country from 5 to 17 years of age the number include 32,955 males and 62.710 females.
The number that was re-recorded included 43,000 children who had never had access to education due to family income.
The data shows that from a total of 421,655 children registered, 15,037 children 3.6% have permission/permission to do work while 52,651 children 12.5% do not have permission/are not allowed to do work.
Meanwhile, the number also shows that male child workers are 34,300 men and 4,978 women.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia Borgs
