Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) and Child Line Organisation (CLO) have sealed a deal to relaunch ‘My Student, My Child, My Star’ campaign.
About one in ten females and nearly one in 20 males aged 13–17 years experienced sexual violence in the southern African country in 2018, according to the Violence Against Children study.
The report also noted that this age group, 13–17, is most vulnerable to HIV as HIV prevalence of young women, 15 to 19 years, is three times that of the male counterparts (14.6 percent and five percent).
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an important agreement by countries who have promised to protect children’s rights.
According to the UN, all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.
The ‘My Student, My Child, My Star’ campaign seeks to educate all stakeholders on gender-based violence (GBV) as the organisations address challenges children face.
BOSETU President Winston Radikolo said the organisation’s partnership with Child Line was a great milestone, saying that the campaign would close the gap tied to lack of research.
For his part, the Director of Child Line Botswana, Olebile Machete, noted that the initiative would make a huge difference in the lives of children.
Machete said issues of children negligence were worrisome as he stressed the role of teachers as gatekeepers in protection of children.
He commended BOSETU for extending its mandate not only to protect teachers but also children.
Source: Daily News
Photo source: UNICEF Botswana