Description
Children are among the most vulnerable members of society, and protecting their rights Cdemands ongoing intellectual, legal, religious, cultural, and social engagement. Since the adoption of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) in 1990, African states have made strides in establishing legal frameworks for child protection. However, emerging challenges and deep-rooted structural issues continue to obstruct the full realisation of children’s rights across the continent.
This multidisciplinary volume brings together a diverse array of voices – academics, practitioners, philosophers, theologians, social workers, and child rights advocates – to reflect on the progress, contradictions, and persistent gaps in Africa’s child protection landscape. Comprising fourteen chapters contributed by over nineteen experts, the book examines both traditional and theoretical foundations of children’s rights in Africa, highlighting tensions between customary norms and contemporary discourses.
The volume also delves into the legal and policy dimensions, as well as lived realities and emerging challenges such as child marriage, trafficking, sexual abuse, and the situation of street children. The roles of religion, law, and policymakers in shaping the future of child rights on the continent are critically emphasised.
Editors:
Isaac Mutelo is an associate lecturer at Domuni Universitas in Toulouse, France, and a Lecturer and Director of Quality Assurance, Research, Innovation and Commercialisation at Arrupe Jesuit University in Harare, Zimbabwe. A Catholic priest of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), he holds degrees in Theology, Philosophy, Education, and Law, with an MAand PhD in Philosophy specialising in religion and politics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. His research focuses on religion, politics, human rights law, interreligious dialogue, artificial intelligence, robotics, and ethics.
Joyline Gwara holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy from the University of KwaZulu- Natal, South Africa, making her the first woman in Zimbabwe to earn a doctorate in this field. She is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe and a Research Fellow with the Decoloniality Research Group at the University of Pretoria. Her teaching and research interests focus on African philosophy and related disciplines.
Monica Nyachowe is an educationist and Lecturer at Arrupe Jesuit University in the School of Education and Leadership. She holds a PhD in Leadership and Management in Education from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Currently, she serves as the Coordinator of the BAHonours in Transformational Leadership and is a Certified Coach from the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh, USA. Her research interests focus on Leadership and Management, Anti-Human Trafficking, and Coaching.
