Breaking the silence : violence against children with disabilities in Africa

Résumé de l'auteur

This report has documented the changing types of violence faced by children with disabilities throughout their childhood, from their heightened vulnerability to physical and emotional violence while young to their greater risk of being subjected to sexual violence as they reach puberty. The aim of this retrospective assessment into violence against children with disabilities in five African countries – Cameroon, Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia – was to increase our understanding of the patterns and dynamics of violence experienced by this vulnerable and frequently overlooked demographic group. The assessment hopes to increase awareness of the situation of children with disabilities and to promote their protection from violence and abuse. ACPF also hopes to instate and reinforce a movement for action against the invisibility of Africa’s children with disabilities.

Commentaire du Centre Ressources

L’intérêt de cette recherche est qu’elle repose sur des témoignages de personnes handicapées venant de cinq pays différents, collectés par une équipe de recherche pour chaque pays, faisant toutes parties de The African Child Policy Forum. Ce sont donc bien cinq équipes de recherches qui ont participé à la réalisation de cette étude. De plus, ce travail permet de mettre en lumière le contexte expliquant la grande vulnérabilité de ces enfants handicapés face à différents types de violences (stéréotypes, manque d’encadrement et d’accompagnement adapté…). Le manque de connaissances qui existe concernant la situation de ces enfants handicapés est également souligné.

Ce travail permet donc de faire ressortir les besoins spécifiques de ces personnes. Des recommandations sont formulées, comme par exemple en matière de soutien et de formation aux aidants, d’appui aux services éducatifs concernant les enfants en situation de handicap, d’appel faits aux gouvernements de prendre leurs responsabilités quant à la protection de ces enfants à travers des lois et des politiques adaptées ou encore de combattre les abus sexuels à tous les niveaux. Elles sont adressées principalement aux professionnels, aux associations de personnes handicapées et de proches, ou encore aux autorités publiques.

L’objectif est de faire progresser les connaissances concernant les violences à l’encontre des enfants en situation de handicap, de mieux comprendre les façons dont ces violences se manifestent, les conséquences qu’elles ont sur la vie de ces enfants et d’élaborer les solutions les plus efficaces permettant de lutter contre.

[ENG]
This research is based on accounts by disabled people from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Senegal, Zambia and Uganda. These accounts were collected by five research teams from the African Child Policy Forum, one for each country. The project highlights specific contexts (stereotypes, lack of adapted care and support…) that explain the extreme vulnerability of these children faced with different kinds of violence. Moreover, the lack of knowledge of the situation of children with disabilities in Africa is underlined.

This work helps to identify the special needs of these children. Recommendations are formulated, for example for the support and training of carers, assistance to educational services for disabled children, calls to government  to assume their responsibilities for protecting these children via appropriate legislation and policies, or for combatting sexual violence at all levels.

The objective is to increase knowledge about violence against children with disabilities, to better understand the ways in which this violence is expressed, its consequences on the lives of these children, and to formulate more effective solutions to fight against this violence.