Liberia scores zero on children’s rights
The Kids Right global index has graded Liberia zero in creating necessary conditions to ensure or protect rights of children. The kid’s right ranking 2015 shows that Liberia needs to do more to providing necessary condition to realize children’s rights.
According to the index, not enough measures have been by taken the authorities to implement previous Concluding Observations on discrimination, particularly against children in vulnerable situations. The report also stated that Gender-based discrimination in Liberia remains a matter of concern as girls in rural areas experience persistent discrimination in accessing education and social services, including their right to property and security, while statutory and customary laws, which discriminate against women, are still being forced such as Revised Rules and Regulations governing the Hinterland as well as harassment and stigmatization.
The Kids Rights Index is an annual global index, which ranks how countries adhere to and are equipped to improve children’s rights. The ranking is based on five domains that are necessary for promoting the implementation of children’s rights.
An enabling environment for child rights’ domain is unique, as it provides insight into the extent to which a country is formally equipped to carry out the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in the eyes of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The report also highlights a need for more active measures to end all forms of discrimination against children, with special attention to discrimination against Girls, including children belonging to ethnic groups in rural areas, and children with disabilities, to ensure that all discriminatory laws are brought into full compliance with the Convention, including the Revised Rules and Regulations governing the Hinterland of Liberia.
It stressed that Liberia also needs to strengthen efforts to ensure that the principle of the best interests of the child is appropriately integrated and consistently applied in all proceedings as well as in all policies, programs and projects relevant with an impact on children. Report
