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Child protection momentum building as Government of Sri Lanka commits to bold action

16/08/2017

The global drive to end violence against children is gaining momentum, with Sri Lanka one of the latest countries stepping up to tackle the issue of child protection.

It is fantastic that Sri Lanka has joined the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children as a pathfinder country, to lead the way in promoting the rights of all children to be free from violence.

A Government report, which Development Pathways contributed to, sets out the next steps the country can take to end violence against children.

The report recognises the progress that Sri Lanka has already made in preventing violence against children, with children’s rights protected from violence enshrined in international commitments and national laws and policies. It also notes the achievements to date and flags the issues to be tackled, including corporal punishment and sexual violence.

A national partnership has been convened to accelerate action on child protection. The report highlights that better evidence on violence against children will help focus future interventions. With this in mind, it recommends a national study to unpack the trends, drivers and contexts of violence against children.

Following a spirited and successful campaign to include child protection targets in the Sustainable Development Goals, the world now needs to follow this up with action. A report like this from the Government of Sri Lanka is an important first step of a journey and we are looking forward to seeing progress Sri Lanka, along with other Pathfinder Countries, makes in ending violence against children.

The Government’s report, Preventing Violence Against Children in Sri Lanka: Country Discussion Paper, and a policy brief, based on the report, are both available to view below.

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