CADEF’s child protection priorities include preventing harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.
These practices undermine children’s rights, dignity and opportunities. Prevention requires attention to the social expectations and inequalities that sustain them.
Children’s safety and participation guide CADEF’s programme approach.
WHO identifies FGM as a practice with no health benefits and serious risks. UNICEF highlights the effects of child marriage on education and wellbeing.
Awareness activities need to connect with accessible, qualified protection and care services.
Respectful dialogue with children, caregivers and community leaders can help communities recognise harm and consider alternatives.
Programme priorities
CADEF’s programme priorities guide work in humanitarian and development settings:
- Promote the implementation of appropriate laws and policies
- Support community-level transformation of social norms and practices
- Empower women and girls to express and exercise their rights and ensure their meaningful participation in decision-making processes
- Increase knowledge and change attitudes so that these practices can be eliminated for good
- Increase access to quality prevention, protection, and care services
- Increase community ownership over relevant programmes and efforts
Children’s participation, community ownership and access to qualified services are central to this approach. Partnerships can help sustain awareness, prevention and referral efforts in the communities CADEF serves.
Explore community child protection activities · WHO FGM reference · UNICEF child marriage reference