17 April 2025 by Itumeleng Lebajoa

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A new report says that governments and non-governmental organisations in sub-Saharan Africa need to change how they address violence against children to eliminate it more effectively.

The report, called Violence Against Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Call for Action, indicates that cultural resistance and limited resources continue to hinder the effectiveness of strategies to eliminate violence against children in sub-saharan Africa. 

“To address these challenges, governments and NGOs must focus on redesigning interventions and building institutional and community capacity to implement and sustain these strategies effectively,” read the report. 

The findings reveal alarming statistics: between 20 and 37 percent of girls in sub-Saharan Africa experience sexual violence, while 12 to 25 percent suffer physical abuse before turning 18. In Lesotho, at least one girl was sexually assaulted each day between January and September 2024, making the country particularly unsafe for girls aged 12 to 17.

The report also shows that 10 percent of boys in the region face sexual violence, while between 30 and 45 percent experience physical violence.

The report was released on April 10, 2025, just two days after the opening of the 45th Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in Maseru, Lesotho. 

During the session, a 14-year-old girl from Lesotho addressed African leaders, urging them to prioritise efforts to end violence against children across the continent.

Itumeleng Tengteng encouraged all African countries to prevent violence against children with each and every stakeholder playing their role. 

“It is not only the role of the government to end violence against children, but it is a responsibility of each and everyone of us,” Tengteng said. 

She argued that individuals can play their part by working together, speaking up, building connections and showing courage in efforts to end violence against children in Africa. Tengteng said this would help all stakeholders “create the same Africa that we all want.”

“By working together, speaking up, building connections and showing courage, we can pave for the same Africa we all want,” she explained.

She further explained that children are living in poverty, lacking basic needs like food and clothing, and their right to education is often denied for various reasons. “Please reduce poverty in our countries.”

“On behalf of my fellow children with disabilities” Tengteng said, “I plead that their special needs will be taken care of, so that they also have access to equal opportunities like everyone else.”

Elizabeth Matola, a child rights advocate and climate change campaigner from South Africa, stated that climate change is not only an environmental crisis but also a serious violation of children’s rights. Matola argued that climate change is violating children’s rights to education, nutritious food, health, clean water, and sanitation.

She shared a story of a young girl struggling to fetch water for her family in a drought-stricken area, highlighting the harsh impact of extreme heat on children’s daily lives.

“The water she collects is unclean but she has to take it anyway because that is all they have, the water scarcity leads to this child missing school and jeopardising her health,” Matola explained. 

She added: “Her family decides to marry her off early, believing that this will ease their burden, this young girl has already lost the opportunity to build herself a dignified future and instead is now burdened with more household responsibilities.”

Justice Nthomeng Majara, Lesotho’s Deputy Prime Minister, highlighted the growing recognition of children’s rights and the importance of involving them in decision-making.

“The establishment of bodies such as the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child have proved beyond reasonable doubt that there is a need for us to acknowledge that children are human beings with basic rights and fundamental freedoms,” Justice Majara said. 

On her part, Dr. Laila Omar Gad, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative to the African Union, said they are witnessing growing threats to the protection of children’s rights, putting their well-being and future at risk. She said children are living in one of the most challenging times in history.

“Ongoing conflicts, political instability, economic hardships, and a weak social support system are all increasing the vulnerability of children,” Dr. Gad said, adding “It is apparent that without sustainable financing even the strongest child protection laws and policies cannot deliver impact.”