Children’s Protection and Cultural Rights – Fact Sheets

Do African customs support and promote children’s protection rights? There are many positive customs that protect children and promote their well-being. However, some carry the risk of harm to children’s welfare, safety, dignity, equality, development and health. These fact sheets on Children’s Protecton and Cultural Rights -composed of 8 sections- have been developed to help child protection stakeholders promote, preserve and strengthen the positive aspects of customary practices and values and change harmful ones. The priority areas of focus of the fact sheets in this series are: 1. Children’s cultural rights & protection rights; 2. Role players with the power to develop custom; 3. Positive African customary practices that protect children; 4. Some practical guidelines on how to promote positive customary practices; 5. Harmful customary practices; 6. Changing harmful customary practices; 7. Ideas for future change; and 8. Harmful un-African practices.