World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse (November 19) and World Day of the Child (November 20)The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi sends a reminder on two significant dates for paying respect for children’s rights in the world. Today is a World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse and tomorrow, World Day of the Child.

Every year, over 1 million children are forced into child trafficking, child prostitution. Almost every day we hear about child abuse. Even employees in respected international organizations are found guilty for being involved in sexual abuse. Apparently, an efficient and effective system needs to be created which would contain increased cultural measures and would increase the public awareness, as well as an initiation for a more massive action for prevention of the abuse.

In Macedonia, every year over 1 000 children become victims of sexual assaults. The victims most commonly are between the age of 11 and 18. The perpetrators of these criminal assaults are usually the parents, friends or neighbors.

The world data tells that only 30% of the children victims are revealed and reported. The statistics also show that female children victims of sexual abuse are five times more often victims than male children, i.e. one in three girls and one in seven boys are victims of sexual abuse. In 89.75% of the cases the abuse lasted several years, and in 10.25% of the cases for several months. So far on our SOS line for children and youth 0800 1 2222 from the total of 17100 calls, 1764 reported cases for violence over children (economic, sexual and physical).

In the Republic of Macedonia there are 18 500 children between the age of 7 and 18 which are not involved in schools, although school as compulsory is guaranteed by the Constitution. Around 2000 children are in the streets. Usually these children are also victims of the worst forms of abuse. They are excluded from the pedagogical and educational processes and are the most frequent victims of sexual abuse, paedophilia, child trafficking, children in the streets and children whose labor is abused.
 
According to the Articles 19, 34, 36, 39 form the Convention for Children’s Rights, the signatory countries are obliged to protect children from all forms of sexual abuse and sexual molestation, to protect them form physical and emotional violence, abuse and neglect, from all other kinds of exploitation harmful to children, and to take measures for better physical and mental healing, as well as social reintegration of the children victims. For this purpose, it is particularly important that the member countries take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures for prevention of the worst forms of sexual abuse and mistreatment.

In 1993 the Republic of Macedonia ratified the Convention for Children’s Rights and thus obliged to make efforts for a successful conduct of its obligations. In 2002 the Republic of Macedonia also became the signatory of the Convention for prevention and elimination of the worst types of child labor, brought by the International Organization of Labor IOL, in which the worst types of child labor were stressed, as well as the obligations of the signatory countries which should be accomplished in order to prevent child labor abuse.

In order to provide a better child protection, the First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi points out at the necessity of a synchronized action of all relevant institutions, taking measures and responsibilities provided by the Constitution and these Conventions.

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