Child Protection
Children have the right to grow up in a safe and supportive environment free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The challenge
Ensuring the protection of children's rights is essential for the survival, development, and well-being of children in Zambia.
Violence against children affects boys and girls across the country.
Children in Zambia face violence across various settings, including homes, schools, institutions, and the judicial system. Experiences of physical, emotional, sexual abuse, or neglect can be painful and traumatic, leading to long-term consequences such as increased risk of future violence, lower educational attainment, and persistent health and social issues.
Corporal punishment remains prevalent in Zambia, with school violence recognized as a significant concern. Surveys reveal that 65% of students aged 13 to 15 report being bullied. Among young people aged 18-24, 20% of women and 10% of men experienced sexual violence before age 18, while 34% of women and 40% of men reported physical violence.
Currently, 6,413 children live in residential care institutions, underscoring the urgent need for a family-based alternative care system that allows children to grow up in a nurturing family environment. Additionally, approximately 1.3 million children aged 5-14 are engaged in child labor, perpetuating the cycle of intergenerational poverty and hindering national economic progress.
Many child marriages in Zambia occur because of poverty, social norms including gender, limited access to services, teenage pregnancy, and violence in the home.
Birth registration is crucial for protecting children's rights and ensuring their access to essential services. Although registration is mandatory in Zambia, only 14% of children under five are registered, and just 5.9% possess birth certificates. Addressing these gaps is essential for promoting equity and safeguarding the future of Zambian children.
Child protection issues in numbers:
- Only 14.2% of children under 5 are registered at birth, with a mere 5.9% holding birth certificates, ranking among the lowest in Africa (ZDHS18).
- 10.2% of children have lost one or both parents (ZDHS18).
- 29% of women aged 20-24 were married before age 18 (ZDHS18).
- 29% of girls aged 15-19 are either pregnant or have given birth (ZDHS18).
- 14.2% of women and 10% of men aged 18-24 experienced sexual violence as children (ZDHS18, VACS15).
- 20% of girls and 10% of boys faced sexual abuse before turning 18 (VAC Study 2014).
- 28% of young girls aged 13-17 described their first sexual encounter as unwanted (VAC Study 2014).
- 16% of children are not living with their biological parents, and 10% of these are orphans (DHS 2018).
The response
UNICEF’s child protection programme collaborates with the Government of the Republic of Zambia to enhance the child protection system, delivering vital prevention services and support for victims of violence. Our focus areas include:
- Increasing birth registration and issuance of certificates for children
- Addressing violence against children
- Ending child marriage
- Strengthening integrated case management for child and family welfare
- Improving the alternative care system
- Enhancing access to justice for children
Recognizing the significance of child protection, the Zambian government has established a robust legislative framework and protection system with various prevention and response mechanisms. UNICEF supports this initiative through advocacy, technical assistance, and facilitation, contributing to the development of key policies and laws such as the Children’s Code Act of 2022 and amendments to the Marriage Act, which are pivotal in strengthening Zambia's child protection system. Additional initiatives include the National Child Safeguarding Policy, the Alternative Care Guidelines, and the National Plan of Action on Ending Child Marriage. The President of Zambia has been recognized as the African Union Champion for Ending Child Marriage, reflecting the government's commitment and progress in this critical area.
To build evidence on violence against children, UNICEF and the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supported the Government to conduct the Violence Against Children Survey (VACS), which was implemented by the University of Zambia and the Zambia Statistics Agency. The Gender Division is in the process of strengthening its policies and programming on gender-based violence and has created One Stop Centres at district and community level in response to gender-based violence and the VAC. The United Nations’ Joint Programme on Gender Based Violence of which UNICEF Zambia was a partner, has been supporting these efforts for the past few years to ensure that child friendly services are in place.
In line with international standards, the Government is reforming the child justice sector. Child Justice Forums have been set up in about 50 of the 116 districts. The forums help coordinate those involved in the child justice sector with the aim of improving child justice administration. With support from UNICEF Zambia, the Government has developed a National Framework on Diversion with a Multi-sectoral Training Manual as a basis for the piloting which will be implemented over the next few years.
To address the bottlenecks in the birth registration process, the government has decentralised birth certification through amendment of the Births and Deaths Registration Act. Further, to increase access for birth registration services, the Government has established birth registration in health facilities across the country and also leveraging on periodical health campaigns such as the child health week.
To address child marriage which represents multiple violation of children’s rights, UNICEF through the Global Programme on Ending Child Marriage is supporting the Government through legislative and policy formulation at national level and also in implementing a multisectoral package of interventions in select high prevalence districts which include community engagement, case management, supporting girls to remain in school, increasing access to Sexual Reproductive Health information and services.