CHILD BUDGETING: FUNDAMENTAL FOR CHILD PROTECTION
The commitment of those in authority and the importance attached to child protection in any given country can be measured by the amount of resources channeled towards this sector. The same applies to all the other areas. Not only will the amount of resources allocated to child protection reflect the willpower, but they will ultimately determine the achievement desired. It will show that we are a nation in which children’s rights are taken as human rights, and where every child develops to their highest potential without any challenges that can be prevented.
The above position is recognized and recommended by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Article 4 wherein state parties are enjoined to “undertake all appropriate legislative, administrative, and other measures for the implementation of the rights recognized in the present convention.......undertake such measures to the maximum extent of their available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international co-operation”. This provision recognizes that resource allocation is indispensable if child protection is to be achieved. In Zimbabwe
It is hopeful to note that there is growing realization by development practitioners that budget analysis and advocacy play key roles in advancing child rights[1]. As implied by the theme for the Day of the African Child this year, “Planning and budgeting for children our collective responsibility”, the process calls for our collective efforts in resource mobilization and lobbying for the relevant budgeting authorities to put children first. As we do this, we must not be shortsighted that such budgeting will only serve to provide the immediate needs of the children. It is about the distant future that we intend to prepare for the country’s future adults. One of the 10 imperatives adopted by the May 2000 “Say Yes for Children Campaign”, that culminated into the 2002 UN General Assembly Special Session on Children, is “Fight poverty: Invest in children”. This resolution stemmed from noting that “investment in children lays the foundation for a just society, a strong economy and a world free of poverty”, establishing the relationship that exists between the elimination of the challenges we face today and the proper upbringing of children, who are the custodians of the future.
The attainment of universal child protection hinges on the effective mobilization of resources, both for programming, implementation and evaluation so that we achieve a “Zimbabwe
A government budget is an expression of the aspirations of those in power. Through the budget, one can see whether children are a priority or not. Our call is that indeed they are a priority. Prioritizing children’s issues cannot be divorced from budgetary allocation. How our nation progresses is determined, among other things, on how much we value our future and invest in it. This investment is through channeling resources to the development of humanity. Children are the future of this nation and let us prioritize their needs.
