Children rights advocates have stressed that society should change their mindset about promotion of children’s rights as an aspect that molds better persons in them.
Within the community, children rights have been looked at as elimination of guardians’ disciplinary role with their children. It is common to hear people refer to it as the Western world influence on Africans to abandon discipline.
Sarah Mateke, the state minister for mentioned that because of misperceptions of children rights, the community has abandoned children which is not right. She noted that it is time parents sought to understand the rights so that they can be able to strike balance.
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“We have had cases where children go overboard like placing demands on parents that they can not fulfil. Children as well should be helped to understand the limits of their rights. You find also parents bring reports to police concerning their children that should be their responsibility.
Furthermore, Milton Muwuma noted that there should be a distinction between punishing and disciplining. He said that responsible citizens of today are groomed because society had a hand of discipline on them.
“We should not draw this thing out of proportion, discipline is not corporal punishment and that is the basic role of a parent. To guide and groom a child in proper balanced `ways. “
One of the aspects that sparked the discussion was the issue of to cane or not to cane children. This is because in 2016 Uganda categorically banned corporal punishment in schools, since then caning in schools has been discouraged.
However, while discussing the responsibility of stake holders and parents in protection children rights, activists mentioned that children as well need to take part in defending their rights.
Moses Ntenga, the Executive Director for Joy for children highlighted that children can take part by agreeing to stay in school, being obedient to their children and listening to their advice among others.
“With rights comes responsibility and children must know this as the right holders. When your parent tells you to go to school you go, if it means helping them out with chores do exactly that and listen to their advice like do not walk alone at night.”
According to Ntenga the integration of all stake holders in fighting child violence and abuse will help in achieving milestones.
Some of the children rights include; a right to good nutrition, and medical services. The right to understanding and love by parents and society. Right to recreational activities and free education, and the right to housing among others.
Children rights abuse however is manifested in different forms of violence like sexual harassment, corporal punishment and torture among others. According to activists, it is these things that rights are guarding children against rather than promote moral decadence.
According to statics from the annual crime report by the Uganda Police last year, 12,580 cases of defilement were registered by police. Of these 12,470 were female while 310 were male victims.