The African children’s charter and ending corporal punishment of children in Africa: A work in progress

Abstract

Corporal punishment is the most common form of violence against children worldwide, including in Africa. Corporal punishment violates children’s rights to respect for their human dignity and physical integrity. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child provides for every child’s right to be protected from violence and ill-treatment. The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and other human rights bodies consistently examine states on their progress towards prohibiting and eliminating corporal punishment. In the context of the thirtieth anniversary of the African Children’s Charter, this article aims to examine the progress made towards the prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment of children in all settings, in Africa. It highlights the challenges and shortcomings in implementing this campaign in Africa. The role of the African Children’s Committee in promoting and protecting the human rights imperative to prohibit corporal punishment of children is also examined, especially as regards the legal barriers to end the corporal punishment of children in Africa.