Tajikistan becomes the world's 67th country to ban corporal punishment of children

DUSHANBE, 30 August 2024 – UNICEF welcomes the landmark legislation in Tajikistan that protects the country's 4 million children from any form of violent discipline, whether at home or in school. The legislation makes Tajikistan the 67^th country worldwide to ban the corporal punishment of children, as announced earlier this week. 

As well as outlawing corporal punishment in all settings, the legislation – which came into effect in June this year – establishes a framework allowing children to seek protection from violence, regardless of their age.

“These new policy changes represent a remarkable advancement in child protection in Tajikistan and demonstrate the Government's strong commitment to respecting the dignity and physical integrity of children. The legislative changes are a major step forward, but much work remains to ensure that these measures lead to positive change in every child's life”, said Arthur van Diesen, UNICEF Representative for Tajikistan.

Violence against children is global and widespread, around 330 million children are punished by physical means. It causes significant damage to children's health, development and wellbeing. It can impair brain and nervous system development, laying the groundwork for long-term difficulties with behaviour, emotion regulation and mental health.

Long-term, violence against children is linked to a range of severe and enduring consequences, including increased risks of mental health disorders, chronic physical health issues, impaired cognitive and emotional development, and diminished academic achievements. The global economic costs resulting from violence against children are as high as $7 trillion per year – roughly 8 percent of global GDP.[1]

Legislation alone will not protect children. However, legal bans have been shown to be a critical first step in ending corporal punishment. They raise awareness of its negative impact and send a clear message that hurting children, for any reason, is never acceptable. In other countries that have banned physical punishment, such as Romania, Kenya, Japan and Germany, the use of corporal punishment declined after bans were passed, often dramatically.

Since its independence, Tajikistan has been dedicated to strengthening the situation of children within the country. Tajikistan's active participation in the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, scheduled for 7-8 November 2024, in Bogota, Colombia, further demonstrates its commitment to global child protection efforts.

All signatories of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include Tajikistan, have declared their commitment to ending violence against children. The SDGs call for the end of abuse, exploitation and all forms of violence and torture against children by 2030.

Support for parents to improve caregiving, reduce family violence and maltreatment, and enhance the mental health of children and parents are critical to ensuring that children grow up in a safe environment. These programmes include coaching on positive approaches, building strong parent-child relationships, and supporting play, non-violent discipline, and communication.

UNICEF is committed to continue its work with the Government of Tajikistan and all partners to ensure that the legislation is upheld, and children are protected.

[1] The costs and economic impact of violence against children. Paola Pereznieto, Andres Montes, Lara Langston and Solveig Routier. https://media.odi.org/documents/9178.pdf