Thirty years of the CRC in Africa

Abstract

This chapter reviews 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Africa. It notes that there has been significant upgrading and modernisation of child law throughout the continent, notably in child protection legislation, inspired by the norms and principles of the CRC. This reform has generally been aimed at setting up child protection systems, detailing how to respond to child abuse and neglect, and providing the basis for various forms of alternative care. Sporadically, juvenile justice laws have also been either included in overarching child protection laws or upgraded separately.

Additional topics discussed include systems strengthening for child protection, access to justice, child participation, and the ongoing development of dedicated children’s courts. The contribution of social cash transfer programmes to alleviating child poverty is highlighted, and the chapter concludes that notwithstanding outstanding areas of concern (violence against children, armed conflict, and nutritional deprivation amongst others), some strides have been made in the 30 years under review to make children’s rights more visible.