GMC observes Day of the African Child

Barcelona, June 16th, 2010 - Alongside millions of African children and child rights organisations across the world, the Global Movement for Children observes on June 16th the Day of the African Child to reflect and raise awareness on the road ahead to reach health, education, equality and protection for all of the continent’s children.

June 16th marks the tragic anniversary when in 1976 in Soweto, South Africa, thousands of black children marched in protest for the poor quality of their education and for their right to be taught in their own language. In response, hundreds of them were shot down and in the two following weeks of protest, more than a hundred people were killed and another thousand were injured.

To honour the memory of those killed and the courage of those who protested, the Organization of the African Union established June 16th as the Day of the African Child. Since 1991, the annual commemorations are designed to draw attention to issues related to African children such as access to health care, education, gender equality or safety.

The theme for this year’s Day of the African Child is Planning and budgeting for children: our collective responsibility and it was adopted by the Third Civil Society Organization Forum of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child that took place in Addis Ababa on March 11-13, 2010.

Read the speech by the President of the African Committee of the Experts on the Rights and the Welfare of the Child.