5 Questions: A Child Protection Policy for Iraq
The Government of Iraq and its partners have developed a National Child Protection Policy to address the enormous challenges citizens face in protecting their children. UNICEF Iraq Chief of Child Protection Brigid Kennedy Pfister discusses the background to drafting the policy, which was supported by a generous contribution from UNDAF Trust Fund and from the people of the Czech Republic.
1.What is the Iraq National Child Protection Policy?
The policy aims to protect Iraqi children from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect, and to provide services and support for children who have survived these things.
It’s a framework of commitments from the government, civil society, and community leaders to help improve the situation of children in Iraq. As much as possible, it intends to protect and support children within their families and communities.
2. What is the most important aspect of the policy?
The most important aspect of this policy is that so many people and leaders both agreed that the situation of Iraq’s children must urgently change and have made a public commitment to take action.
The government and all partners have agreed on the policy’s four main pillars. It should be based on children’s rights, promote an equitable approach, ensuring that all children have equal opportunities for protection, including the most vulnerable children. It must be comprehensive, through all stages — from prevention and protection to rehabilitation and reintegration. And it must adopt a systems approach, holistically involving all sectors to create a completely protective environment.
3. What are the biggest challenges Iraqi children face in terms of protection?
Iraqi government research shows that violence against children in Iraq is widespread and acute.
The biggest challenges include psychological and physical violence in schools and in the community, increasing rates of child labour and early marriage, and sexual violence and harassment. Many children have survived trauma and have not received any help.
These protection problems, which exist in almost every country, have been exacerbated by the extreme and extended violence and displacement resulting from the current conflict. This leaves Iraq’s children extremely vulnerable to violence, abuse, exploitation, and economic deprivation.
4. What will the child protection policy do to improve the rights of children?
The main problems with Iraq’s system are the weak mechanisms to prevent and respond to violence and abuse, as well as loose coordination among the mechanisms that do exist.
The current system also lacks comprehensive international standard legislation, with little capacity to implement protective legislation. Existing legislation also relies heavily on punishment instead of considering or addressing either the underlying causes of abuse, or how to prevent and respond to violence without penalizing the child.
The policy itself does not change the situation for children. It needs to be implemented in communities and in the daily lives of children before the situation will improve.
If it is implemented as planned, the legislative and policy framework will promote the rights of children and address their needs holistically so that they can develop to their full potential. Communities and government will support children and families in a way that promotes safety and early intervention to minimize the risk of child abuse, exploitation and neglect.
Children who have been abused or exploited will receive the support and care to promote their well-being and facilitate recovery and reintegration into their communities.
In the particular context of the war in Iraq, the millions of children affected by conflict and displacement will be supported and safe in their families and in their communities no matter their religion, ethnicity, language, place of origin, or where they live.
5. How was the policy drafted and who was involved?
The Iraq Child Welfare Commission, which includes representatives from 12 Iraqi ministries, was the main driver behind the new policy. UNICEF and the American University of Beirut provided technical support.
The policy was drafted through processes conducted at national and local levels. This included a literature review, data collection and engagement with representatives in the government, civil society, and the United Nations. The children of Iraq were also consulted, as were their parents, teachers, community members, religious leaders and authorities from across the country, including from the Kurdistan region.
The partners drew on good examples of child protection from within Iraq and other countries to ensure that the final policy was practical and offered an effective way forward.
Condensed and edited by Chris Niles, a Consultant with UNICEF Iraq.
Direct donations to UNICEF Iraq: http://support.unicef.org/campaign/donate-children-iraq
