Lower House Passes Children’s Bill in Major Step to Protecting Child Rights and Welfare

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The Lower House of Parliament has approved the Children’s Bill in a major step towards the protection of children’s welfare and rights in Somalia.

The Bill was passed by 139 MPs while two voted against it in a sitting of the Lower House today. The passage of the bill is instrumental in safeguarding the rights and welfare of children in the country, especially in light of violations of the rights of children by state and non-state actors.

The Bill compels the state to put in place necessary measures, including ensuring the rights of children, such as education, access to healthcare, and parental support. The state will also be required to ensure children are not subjected to court processes in violation of their rights.

It comes in the wake of cases of rights violations. For instance, in the trial last year against a man accused of setting his wife on fire in the Middle Shabelle region, one of the daughters was presented in court to testify against her father in public, a matter that provoked widespread criticism.