Child Protection

Despite significant progress in child protection over the past decade, in 2022 the passing of the Integrated Child Protection Code (Código de Proteção Integral da Criança) was stalled following the dissolution of parliament. This would have addressed key issues such as legal access to services in communities, case management, adoption regulation and protection from gender-based violence (GBV).

In 2022, key child protection issues in the country continue to be the low birth registration rate, child labour, and violence against children, such as female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, corporal punishment and sexual violence.

Although birth registration has improved, the rate is still low with only 46 per cent of children under the age of 5 registered and 36 per cent for children under 1 year of age. Besides access challenges, in some cases, men refuse to accept paternal responsibility, and when it comes to infants born with abnormalities or disabilities, many parents hide the children’s existence and never register their birth.¹

Unregistered children are extremely vulnerable as their access to services can be restricted, for example in some cases, children are unable to access juvenile justice or are unable to prove their ages in cases of child marriage, child labour.

While there has been progress over the past decade in reducing FGM and child marriage, latest data shows that both persist.² Around 30 per cent of girls aged 0-14 years have undergone FGM and 26 per cent of women aged 20–24 years report having been married or in a union before they reached the age of 18.

The use of physical violence often starts at a young age in Guinea-Bissau. About 75 per cent of children aged 1-14 years old were disciplined with some form of physical violence.

Corporal punishment is widespread in schools,³ particularly in primary schools, where class sizes are large with pupils of different ages, and where the teachers have not been trained in child-friendly teaching methods.⁴ Physical and sexual violence around schools is a huge challenge. While research is sparse, student associations and community organizations report many cases of violence, including sexual harassment by peers and teachers that go unpunished.

Talibé or almudus (children who frequent Koranic schools or madrassas), most of whom live in eastern regions of Bafatá and Gabú, are especially vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and trafficking as most children have to board.⁵ Some students live in dismal conditions and are forced to beg or work to survive. Some are even sent to Koranic schools (Daaras) in neighbouring Senegal or The Gambia.