October 18, 2024- Banjul, Gambia
KELIN joined other civil society organizations (CSOs) at the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) Session in Banjul, Gambia, to urge African Union (AU) member states in the East and Horn of Africa to address access to education for displaced children and youth. Convened by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the session sought to explore the reasons for school dropout in displacement contexts and share the recommendations thereof with Hon. Commissioner Salma Sassi, Vice-chair of the ACHPR working group on economic, social and cultural rights.
There are 5,493,745 refugees and asylum seekers with 2.17 million being school-aged and 21,0477, 551 number of IDPs in the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region. Only 1.06 million of the 2.17 million school aged refugee children are in school with 1.11 million out of school[1]. Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan are obligated to provide free elementary education as enshrined under Article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Banjul Charter). However, many children in displacement settings within these jurisdictions are unable to access education due to various challenges. These include harmful socio-cultural practices like female genital mutilation, exposure of students to danger because of long-distance walks to school, high rates of teenage pregnancies and child marriages
Recommendations emphasized the importance of countries ratifying, domesticating and fully implementing the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the Djibouti Declaration on Refugee Education (December 2017) to ensure quality education standards inclusion of refugees in national education systems, and accreditation of educational programs. Further, more public schools in refugee and IDP-hosting communities need to be established to reduce pressure on existing schools and minimize long distances trekking for children. Additionally, there is need to strengthen sexual and gender based violence referral systems in refugee and host communities and build the capacity of relevant actors to effectively respond to cases. Hon. Commissioner Salma Sassi, Vice-chair of the ACHPR working group on economic, social and cultural rights committed to including the recommendations in the next report to ensure AU member states in the East and Horn of Africa address access to education for displaced children and youth
KELIN is dedicated to the promotion and protection of access to sexual and reproductive health information, services and commodities for adolescents and young people and eager to see it integrated into the education infrastructure in displacement settings.
To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our website and social media platforms
Website: www.kelinkenya.org
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For more information please contact,
Elsie Milimu,
Program Officer- SRHR,
Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV/AIDS (KELIN), Email: elsiemilimu@kelinkenya.org
[1] UNHCR East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Education Update Regional Overview as of July-September
