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{
    "id": 1057019,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1057019/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 79,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kasanga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13185,
        "legal_name": "Sylvia Mueni Kasanga",
        "slug": "sylvia-mueni-kasanga"
    },
    "content": "children has worsened as shown in these statistics. Physical violence was the most common type of violence experienced by children and reported that 39 percent of young women and 52 percent of young men aged between 18 -24 years. Nearly one in six young women about 16 percent of those aged 16-24 years experienced sexual violence as a child compared to 6.4 percent of young men with intimate partners the most common perpetrators. Around a third of boys 32 percent and 34.3 percent girls aged between 13-17 years, experienced emotional violence such as being told that their parent wished they were never born. It is not common for children to report violence or seek assistance. Only 12.5 percent of young women who had experienced sexual violence as a child sought help and only 3 percent of young men. Lastly, many children think violence is to be tolerated. More than half of the girls, 50 percent and almost half of the boys 47 percent aged between 13-17 years indicated that it was acceptable for a husband to beat his wife. Echoing the words of UNICEF survey, a child’s first experience of violence is often at home, in the school or community where they have a right to feel safe and be protected. It affects children from all backgrounds and can leave them with permanent disabilities, injuries, mental health issues and emotional scars. Over this prolonged period of COVID-19 pandemic, we have all witnessed the numerous social and economic pressures that have intensified the number of cases of abuse and violence affecting the household including children. Noting that only 12 percent of cases of sexually related violence against children are reported, leaving over 88 percent of cases unreported and the victims voiceless over repeated acts that are meted out on them, I would request the Speaker to refer this matter to the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare pursuant to Standing Order 47(3). This is so that the Committee can, hopefully, within 20 days interrogate the state of achievement of the national plan of action as established by the Ministry and furnish this House with a comprehensive report on how the concerned departments are handling these matters. The report should include the mechanisms in place to identify victims and children at risk, all relevant laws and policies that are utilised in enforcement, status of all convictions and progress made in rehabilitating victims, programs and activities aiding in sensitizing members of public and utilization of relevant budgets by the Ministry and relevant departments towards prevention and addressing cases of abuse against children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}