UNICEF Child Protection Zimbabwe (CPF) III 2023 -2026

The Child protection programme has achieved a number of results during the reporting period June 2023 to June 2024. The following are some of the results achieved. Generally the programme managed to strengthen the child protection policy and legal framework following the enactment of the Children's Amendment Act, and the approval of the National Policy for the Care and Protection of Children without Parental Care. A total of 158 cases were diverted from the criminal justice system. Case completion rate improved in the regional Victim Friendly Courts. A total of 366 children (196 boys and 170 girls) with disabilities benefited from the multisectoral disability services and this included 49 who received birth registration. A total of 1,442 (1,322 females and 120 males) survivors of GBV received medical and psycho social support services. Under the Access to Child Protection and Welfare services the programme provided financial and technical support for the delivery of protection, care, and welfare services to vulnerable children through the National Case Management System (NCMS) and the Victim-Friendly System. A total of 8,170 children (4,378 females and 3,792 males) out of a target of 6,000 benefited from child protection services delivered through the NCMS, in collaboration with Government counterparts and CSOs providing services in health, social work, psycho social support, and justice/law enforcement. The central objective of the programme is to promote individualized care planning and formalize provision of multi-sector disability services to meet the identified and assessed needs of the children. During the period under review, a total of 366 children and adolescents (170 girls and 196 boys), out of a target of 600 received free services offered by government departments in five service categories namely (1) protection and birth registration, (2) inclusive education, (3) school-based day care and stimulation, (4) health and rehabilitation, (5) social protection. The planned target was to reach 600 children, however, this was not reached as Zimbabwe Parents of Handcapped Children Association (ZPHCA)s clearance to implement the programme at district level was inordinately delayed by local authorities. A total of 348 unaccompanied children on the move (138 girls and 210 boys) were provided with protection services, with 99 per cent of the children successfully reunified with their families, between December 2023 and January 2024. Overall, during the reporting period, a total of 602 children on the move (internal and cross border migration) were assisted with protection and welfare services in programme districts but mainly Beitbridge and Plumtree. The programme under the thematic area Access to birth and registration services provided technical, logistical, and financial assistance covering, civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) assessment and development of a 5-year costed strategic plan; training of 52 CRVS workforce (target was 52) and traditional leaders on notification of community births and deaths (A total of 5,700 traditional leaders including chiefs, headman and village heads were trained in active notification of community births and deaths in Manicaland and Matabeleland provinces) and partial support for the rollout of this initiative in Manicaland and Matabeleland North provinces; as well as computerization and digitization of 18 decentralized civil registry sub offices and two district offices. The active notification of community births and deaths by traditional leaders is a strategic intervention which will increase birth registration rates for children in rural areas. It will also address late registration of births as there is now a mechanism for monitoring the number of births notified but unregistered. Preliminary figures from the Civil Registry Department show that an estimated 5,213 community births in the two provinces had been notified and were at various stages of birth registration and certification. The programme supported implementation of social and behaviour change driven interventions that seek to address social norms and cultural factors that perpetuate and condone violence against children (VAC) and gender-based violence (GBV). The interventions targeted multiple stakeholders in the community including parents/caregivers, traditional leaders, children, and community childcare workers. They received training and information to help them recognize instances of VAC, understand how and where to report such incidents, and identify where they could access protection services. In addition, the training of traditional leaders on active notification of community births and deaths integrated information, knowledge, and skills on VAC and GBV prevention and response, child rights, child labour, and the referral pathway. The ZPHCA trained 125 (70 males and 55 females) community child protection stakeholders (target was 125), equipping them with knowledge, skills, and information on addressing stigma, discrimination and harmful practices against children and persons with disabilities, and promoting inclusive families and communities. The trained stakeholders include religious leaders, community health workers (CHWs), community care workers (CCWs), traditional and faith healers. The stakeholders are conducting community outreach activities to disseminate the information to community members. ZPHCA also trained 160 (110 females and 50 males) members (target was 200) of caregiver support groups and adolescents as advocates for access to services by children with disabilities. The organization prioritized the training of community child protection stakeholders to address harmful social norms, cultural, religious and gender norms - a key component of the CPF IIIs strategy to prevent VAC. The Victim Friendly Courts received and processed 852 sexual abuse and exploitation cases involving children and minors (828 females, 24 males). Of the 852 cases, 699 (685 females, 14 males) were completed. To enable access to justice, the programme funded witness expenses, including escort fees. This assistance mainly covered the costs for survivors and witnesses travelling long distances from remote areas to attend regional courts sessions. The programme also reached 2,751 individuals (1,398 females and 1,353 males) with legal aid, legal representation support and child rights awareness. Of the 2,751 cases supported, 49 cases involved children with disabilities. During this reporting period, significant progress has been made in strengthening laws, policies, regulations, and strategies related to child protection. Most notably the Childrens Act [Chapter 5:06] has been amended to align with international standards thereby introducing new criminal offences that safeguard children from acts of abuse, exploitation, child grooming as well enhancing access to health care services. Notable developments from the Amendment include a stiffer maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for corruption of children. The programme provided funding and technical assistance to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare to support the review of the National Action Plan for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (NAP III) and the development of a successor NAP (2024-2027). The latter was finalized in October 2023 and handed over to the MoPSLSW for preparation and submission to Cabinet for review and approval. The successor NAP promotes the role of the social service workforce, parenting models, and integrates emerging protection risks and vulnerabilities affecting children. For example, the NAP will establish a sperate pillar dedicated to addressing child labour, as well as incorporating other key issues such drug and substance abuse, children on the move, and cross-cutting themes like Early Childhood Development (ECD), climate change and mental health. All these efforts will collectively contribute to strengthening child protection systems.

The CPF III will contribute to the realization of the Child Protection programme outcome that seeks to ensure that: by 2026, children, adolescents and young people are better protected from violence, abuse and exploitation, are registered in a timely manner and benefit from improved prevention and response systems in development and humanitarian settings. Access to child protection and welfare services including birth registration for the most vulnerable children through the National Case Management System Prevention of VAC and GBV through interventions that address harmful practices, social and gender norms and behavioural drivers of violence. Access to child-friendly justice system and services Policy, legal and regulatory framework improvements and reform, coordination and institutional capacity strengthening