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| OUR KEY ISSUES |
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KEY ISSUES AT CDF:
Children’s Dignity Forum is a non profit sharing civil society organization aiming at contributing to the endeavors to analyze African families' relationships in conjunction with children's legal and human rights and put the matter on the public agenda; creating working forum to empower children, the families and the society in general, promote and reinforce children's rights. Among the key objectives that set the establishment of CDF was;
- To promote and reinforce rights of vulnerable children particularly girls by placing children’s legal and human rights on the public agenda.
- Creating working forum to empower children, families and the society in general,
- Developing capacity and skills to address harmful traditional practices and to spell out human rights based approaches in creating awareness on the rights of children as well as the role of African families and the current global trends and contemporary changes,
CDF aimed at working on three key issues which are:
1. Female Genital Mutilation/cutting or women circumcision (FGM)
2. Child Marriage
3. Promotion and Protection of Child Rights
1. Female Genital Mutilation/cutting or women circumcision (FGM)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) refers to a range of total or partial removal of the external female genitalia organs for non medical reasons. It is a practice that is considered inhuman and which violates and degrade human rights especially that of women. WHO also identified four types of FGM.
Types of FGM
1. Excision of the prepuce with or without excision of part or the entire clitoris (clitoridectomy).
2. Partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia minora with or without excision of the labia majora(excision).
3. Narrowing of the vaginal orifice (infibulations).
4. And all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for no medical purposes including pricking, piercing, incising, and scraping.
Who practices FGM and at what age?
The most common practiced type of FGM worldwide including Tanzania is type (1) and (2). The act is commonly practiced by traditional Ngariba, whose tasks are passed on from one generation to the next in the family line and are usually paid for, by the families of the girls who are to be mutilated. The age at which FGM takes place varies: - it can occur during infancy, childhood, time of marriage, and during woman’s first pregnancy, however, the most typical age is between 7-10years or before puberty.
Download full document of FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
2. Child Marriage:
Child marriage refers to any marriage of a child younger than 18 years old. It is a violation of human rights whether it happens to a girl or a boy, but it represents the most prevalent form of sexual abuse and exploitation of girls as they seem to be disproportionately much affected than boys. In 1994 study indicated that 39.3% of children aged 15-17 in Tanzania were married. According to 2005 child marriage statistical study by UNICEF, 42% of girls aged 15-17 were married in Africa and over 60% of children married below the age of 18.
Although the issue of child marriage is a concern for both girls and boys, girls are the most affected because, being married at the age below 18 means you are entering in to a new phase of life and in to a new family responsibilities of child bearing, nurturing, taking care of the household; it is like shattering their future, it is the end of their pursue to education, their health deteriorating due to poor sexual and reproductive health, and they can no longer develop well as other young girls and this is the violation of children rights.
Where is Child Marriage in Tanzania practiced mostly?
Child marriage is widely practiced in Tanzania particularly in the coastal regions of Pwani, Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, and Lindi and others including Mara, Manyara, Mwanza and Morogoro regions.
Download full document of CHILD MARRIAGE
3. Child Rights:
As a human being with all the rights, children are entitled to special care, assistance and protection because of their defenselessness against mistreatment.
According to Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1989, defines a child as “any human being below the age of 18 years unless according to the law applicable to the child, majority age is obtained earlier”.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have and the reasons as to why a person under 18 needs special care, assistance and protection.
These include;-
1. The right to develop to the fullest
2. The right to survival
3. The right to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation
4. The right to participate fully in family, cultural and social life
Download full document of CHILD RIGHTS |
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| CDF VISION AND MISSION |
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VISION:
Children's Dignity Forum envisages a Tanzanian society where children live in dignity and are accorded to social justice. CDF's core values are Voluntary Spirit, Partnership, Participation and Voice of the Children; and respect for children's rights.
MISSION:
Children's Dignity Forum is not for profit sharing, a Civil Society striving to contribute to the endeavors to analyse African families' relationships in conjunction with children's legal and human rights and put the matter on the public agenda; creating working forum to empower children, the families and the society in general, promote and reinforce children's rights. |
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| Contact Information |
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Children's Dignity Forum (CDF)
Physical Address:
Mwenge Area, plot No. 161/162, 2nd Floor,
Mama Ngoma House,
Postal Address:
P.O. Box 65413, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Phone +255 22 2775010
Mob: + 255 713 691 375
Email: info@cdftz.com |
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