Article 19, Vol. 5 No. 2 December 2009
Since the previous edition of Article 19 in July 2009, there have been significant developments and activities in relation to the abolition of corporal punishment. In the international context, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights recently released a thematic report on corporal punishment. This edition provides the key aspects of this report which calls for the prohibition of all forms of corporal punishment of children.
This edition also provides an overview of a recent regional initiative namely, the “Skilful Parenting Experts Meeting” hosted by the African Child Policy Forum and International Child Support in Nairobi, Kenya. Lorenzo Wakefield reports on the meeting which aims to ensure a holistic approach in supporting positive parenting in Africa.
In South Africa, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities held public hearings in October 2009 to assess the impact of the Domestic Violence Act, 11 years after its implementation. In addition to organisations focused on violence against women, submissions were also made by organisations which focus on child protection. Samantha Waterhouse and Fairouz Nagia-Luddy provide a follow-up article based on the Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect’s submission in regards to the latter, and outline the links between domestic violence and corporal punishment.
In addition, an article by Catherine Franks titled “A Legal Ban alone will not be enough to stop Corporal Punishment”, argues that any reform in the law with regards to corporal punishment must be accompanied by awareness-raising and educational campaigns, to ensure it is effective.