DISTRICT CONSULTATIONS REPORTS CHAPTER 2: CHILD LABOUR Challenges ? Children work in order to get school fees while others who are not staying with their parents are made to work. Recommendations ? The law should punish all adults who subject children to child labour. SEXUAL ABUSE Challenges Most children, especially girls are subjected to sexual abuse. ? ? Children are being sexually abused for religious reasons. Rape and early child marriages are tolerated and even encouraged by some churches. Recommendations ? Parents and the government should protect children from sexual abuse. ? Religious sects that force children into marriages should be banned. ? Perpetrators of child abuse must be given long sentences which are prohibitive to other potential abusers. ·“Everybody who rapes a child should be sentenced to life in jail because a carjacker is being sentenced to 20-30 years in jail but the one who rapes gets only less. A car can be restored but we cannot repair the damage of rape!” CHILD PARTICIPATION Challenges ? Adults organize things for children without consulting the latter. Recommendations ? There is need to consult children on issues that affect them since they are the ones better placed to talk about what affects them. “All child rights that are in the UNCRC and their responsibilities should be included in the new constitution.” 2.2. DISTRICT: PROVINCE: VENUE: DATE: PARTICIPANTS: CHITUNGWIZA HARARE SEKE 1 HIGH SCHOOL 8 JUNE 2010 189 CHILDREN (98 GIRLS AND 91 BOYS) CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS BIRTH REGISTRATION Challenges ? Most children are failing to access birth certificates and national IDs. Recommendations ? All children must be released from hospital after birth only if they have acquired birth certificates and the fees charged for registration should be reduced so that the poor can afford. ? Registration centers should be decentralized for easy registration. CHILD PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSTITUTION MAKING PROCESS Children's consultations CONSOLIDATED REPORT 7