Child rights are not foreign culture, says Rev Akpallam

Reverend Dr Ebenezer Tetteh Akpallam, a lecturer at the Pentecost University, says child rights are not a foreign culture, but they are rights to protect children’s wellbeing, survival and development.

“Child rights sit on four principles which find expression across all religions: non-discrimination, the best interest of the child, the right to life, survival and development, and respect for the views of the child. Children in turn also have responsibilities to obey rules and do as expected of them.”

Akpallam explained this in a presentation at a seminar on child protection with religious and traditional leaders, as well as other stakeholders in Koforidua.

He emphasised that all religions – Christian, Islamic and traditional faiths – uphold the child’s development as paramount to the progress of society, therefore it is not appropriate to describe child rights as a foreign culture.

The lecturer said, “The problem is [with] the interpretation, especially using the scripture to abuse children, so…guiding and teaching children without inflicting pain appears to be contrary to those interpretations.”

Akpallam said, the frequent use of Proverbs 13:24 which says “spare the rod and spoil the child” has been wrongly interpreted to abuse children.

He explained that, “The rod and staff represent the authority of parents or the elderly to teach and guide children… it’s not about beating.”

Whiles agreeing that correction cannot be ruled out when training children, he said it is important to use alternative discipline rather than abuse. This will ensure that violence, hatred and pain are not inflicted on children in the name of training.

The two-day workshop was organised by the Department of Children under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to educate participants as part of broader stakeholder engagements to deepen community child protection roles as well as promote the Ghanaians Against Child Abuse social drive.

Participants included church leaders and pastors, queens, chiefs, community and opinion leaders from Islamic communities, media practitioners and other stakeholders.

Christopher Lartey, principal programmes officer at the Department of Children, said the rights of children are basic needs for their growth and development and cannot lead to indiscipline among them.

He said, “It cannot be true that child rights are leading children astray. Rather, it’s the abuse of children in the name of correction or punishment over a long period of time which has made violence and abuse seem acceptable in society.”

Lartey bemoaned that many people have criticised the rights of children to protection, survival and non-discrimination, creating the impression that child rights are a foreign culture. He said, “child rights are basic needs for every child anywhere.”

The Eastern regional director of the Department of Children, Latifa Abobo Siddique, said every stakeholder, including religious and traditional leaders, has a role in child protection.

She appealed to participants, especially religious and traditional leaders, to desist from intervening or interfering in criminal matters involving children – assault and defilement – to allow the law to take its due course.

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