South Africa’s long-term initiatives to protect children and promote their well-being are rooted in a human rights approach to development, Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya said on Monday.
”Each one of us cannot be but moved into action by [a] situation in which children literally take turns to eat as there is not enough food available in their households for each one of them to eat every day,” Skweyiya said at the launch of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) State of the World’s Children Report for 2006 in Cape Town.
He said the Unicef report concentrates on the vulnerable children in every society, who face especially difficult situations.
”These children variously live in poverty, face discrimination, are displaced by armed conflict, suffer abuse, are affected by HIV and Aids, lack formal identity or are not treated as children.”
Skweyiya, in a speech prepared for delivery, said it is heartening that the ”wide-ranging” Children’s Bill before Parliament will be finalised this year.
The Bill makes provision for structures, services and the means to promote and monitor the physical, psychological, emotional and social development of children in South Africa.
Skweyiya said a central element of the South African government’s intervention to address the needs of vulnerable children has been a programme of social assistance.
He said more than seven million children from poor families receive a child-support grant, which acts as more than just a safety net.
”There is empirical evidence that they ultimately enable children to overcome the socio-economic barriers that entrench inter-generational poverty in households.”
Skweyiya said a recent study found that social grants play a critical role in reducing poverty and promoting social development.
However, among the plethora of studies, Skweyiya said more work needs to be done and more public debate encouraged.
Skweyiya said it is only by responding to the call to action and attending to instances of vulnerability and exclusion documented in Unicef’s 2006 report that the UN’s Millennium Development Goals will be achieved. — Sapa