Stakeholders elated with approval of Child Code Bill

Save the children has welcomed cabinets decision to approve the child code bill for publication and introduction in parliament during the current sitting.

Cabinet during its 13th meeting on 30th of June approved a total eight bills among them being “the children’s code bill, 2022” for publication and introduction in parliament during the current sitting.

Save the children country director Jo Musonda states that the piece of legislation is long overdue further stressing the need for Zambia to quickly address and codify protection and development laws governing children in the current legal framework.

She has since called on members of parliament to be above board and unanimously support the progressive bill which is aimed at improving and protecting the wellbeing of children who make up over half of Zambia’s population. 

And advocacy for child justice executive director Josephat Njobvu has commended government for approving the bill which he believes will help enhance the rights and welfare of children in Zambia.

Mr. Njobvu states that the decision is also a clear sign that the government is concerned about the affairs of children and that it is determined to help them realize their aspirations seeing that the children’s code bill has been stuck across various ministries for over 16 years.

He observes that Zambia has for a long time ranked poorly on the Child Friendliness Index by the African Child Policy Forum adding that as of 2018 Zambia was ranked at number 48 out of 52 countries stating that the country’s poor ranking has been as a result of the inadequate laws and policies that deliberately promote children’s welfare.

He notes that among some of the many benefits that the Children’s Code Bill, 2022 brings with it are that the bill proposes provision for the grant of Legal Aid, and establishes procedures for treatment of children in conflict with the law, and of making social welfare reports in respect of the child.

He adds that the bill will also harmonize the definition of who a child is and raise the age of criminal responsibility from 8 to 14 years.

Mr. Njovbu further adds that the Section 18(2) (a) specifically provides for the protection of a child from early marriages with Section 18(2)(b) further providing for the protection against cultural rites, and religious or traditional practices that are likely to negatively affect the child’s life, health, social welfare, dignity, and physical or psychological development.

He has since called on the general public to familiarize themselves with this bill and take keen interest in seeing it through the various stages and also called on the lawmakers to support the Children’s bill and enact it into law to protect children from various forms of abuse and exploitation.