For the Liberian Child, A New Day Dawns

 Saturday, February 4, 2012, dawned a day for the Liberian child. It marked the historic launch of the 2011 Children’s Law of Liberia by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. This development followed more than two years of relentless advocacies by state and non-state actors from all walks of the Liberian society, including the Liberia Children’s Parliament and UNICEF, among many others.

The law was finally passed on 15 September 2011 by the 52nd Legislature.

On February 21, the Daily Observer published a back-page story of children in Gborwuzohn District, Rivercess County, abandoning their education in search of gold.  In the story, the District Education Officer (DEO), Mr. Matthew Swaray, confirmed the hopeless state of affairs but quickly put the blame on the parents who passed the blame onto their children for abandoning school.  It then became clear that in order for families to survive, even the children had to contribute to the upkeep of their families.  This points to one of the major abuses suffered by children all across Liberia – they are compelled to be the breadwinners of their families at a tender age. Also in that story, DEO Swaray finally admitted that there is not even a school building in the entire district. It is no wonder, then, that children are ditching school. There are hardly any schools to attend in the first place.

The situation in Rivercess County however, is not unique. Similar stories have been reported elsewhere in the country, even in Monrovia, the nation’s capital. The above account is only a gist of what many Liberian children currently endure growing up, in both urban and rural communities across the country.

The Children’s Law of Liberia aims to protect children and their right to participate meaningfully in their development. According to UNICEF, the Children’s Law is largely based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, ratified by Liberia in 1993 and 1992 respectively.

Liberia is one of the first countries to adopt a comprehensive legislation for children that incorporate the UNCRC and the African Charter, making it one of the most comprehensive pieces of children’s rights legislation in the continent. It ensures the government’s commitment to support the progressive realization of all rights for all children, including their right to health; education; freedom from violence, abuse, and exploitation; and their right participate meaningfully in their own development.

“When we see you walking around, talking to each other, enjoying the day, we can just be so happy and say, this particular [Children’s Law] to protect you, is one that has been long in the making,” said 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate and President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, to thousands of children at the Annual Children’s Festival in Monrovia as she launched the Children’s Law of Liberia.

The Law is, however, sitting on the President’s desk, awaiting her signature, before being printed into handbills.

Section 5 (5.3) of Article III of the Law  empowers the  Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to act as a mediator in child support cases, taking into consideration Penal Code Section 16.5 regarding persistent non-support and Domestic Relations Law Section 5.4 granting courts jurisdiction over support proceedings. If a mediated solution cannot be found, such cases shall be forwarded to courts of competent jurisdiction.

This indeed sounds a blessing to protecting the rightful upbringing of the Liberia child. Recently, I stumbled upon a discussion in a taxi I boarded, heading across town. The discussion in that taxi was all about child support and what it means to the future of the mother.

The man in the front seat argued that without any law compelling men to support the up-bring of their kids, lots of young women would find it extremely difficult to get married because “no man is willing to marry a woman and begin footing the expenses of kids she had by another man. And what’s even more frustrating is that that child gets snatched from you (the stepfather) by the [biological] father after the child has reached his/her adolescence.” This young man further stressed the need for such law to protect the child even in instances of separation on the part of both parents.

The 64-page 2011 Children’s Law seeks to respond to concerns like these through its comprehensive articles.

“The Children’s Law is a powerful example of the progress that Liberia is making through cross-cutting partnerships,” said Ms. Isabel Crowley, UNICEF’s Resident Representative. “We need to work even harder now, to ensure that the law is translated into concrete actions for children’s health, education, protection and participation in every county, district, clan and community, reaching the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children and families.”

The Liberia Children’s Parliament, comprising children and youth representatives from all parts of the country, has played a key role in supporting the Child Protection Network. “It was a struggle. We’ve participated in public and media events advocating for the children’s law. This is a good day, no, actually this is a great day, for all children, and for Liberia,” said 17 year old Emmanuel Bropleh Jr., Speaker of the Liberia Children’s Parliament.

Preparations for implementing the Children’s Law are already underway. Members of the Child Protection Network plan to meet in the coming weeks to map out a plan for resource mobilization, education activities and skills trainings across the country. Continuing to work together, Network members will be able to reach out to donors around the world, government agencies around the country and families in every county.