FAWE STATEMENT ON THE 35th ANNIVERSARY OF THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD DURING THE 46TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ACERWC Theme: Advancing the Right to Education and Dismantling Harmful Practices Affecting Girls in Africa Protocol I.
The Honourable Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC),
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Honourable Members of the Committee,
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Distinguished Representatives of Member States,
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Development Partners and Civil Society Colleagues,
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Our Dear Children,
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All Protocols Observed,
On behalf of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), I extend warm congratulations to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) on this momentous occasion marking 35 years of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. For more than three decades, the Charter has been a beacon of hope for millions of children across Africa. FAWE commends the Committee’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that the right to education, as guaranteed under Article 11 of the Charter, remains a living reality for every child — especially girls, who continue to face multiple and intersecting barriers to learning and empowerment. 1. Advancing the Right to Education through Implementation of General Comment No. 9 FAWE applauds the ACERWC for its General Comment No. 9 on the Right to Education, which provides clear guidance on how States can transform education systems to uphold every child’s right to quality, inclusive, and equitable education. The General Comment emphasizes inclusive, equitable, quality education that supports the child’s full development. We urge Member States to translate the General Comment into action through: I.
Embedding gender-equality and inclusion in national education plans;
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Addressing barriers like school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV), pregnancy, early marriage, FGM/C, climate change, and displacement.