Workshops on amendments to the CCPA

The GRAP team, Yolande and Celine held consultative workshops in Outapi and Opuwo last week to gather feedback on proposed amendments to the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA).

Key findings:

• Stakeholder participation:
  • Outapi: 52 attendees, mostly professionals working with children. Only 5 had received CCPA training.
  • Opuwo: 36 attendees, mostly unfamiliar with CCPA except for social workers and MGEPESW representatives.
• Issues raised:
  • Outapi:
    • Bail conditions in child abuse cases.
    • Mandatory reporting for everyone, not just professionals.
    • Clarification on intersex babies and gender determination.
    • Clearer charges for different types of abuse.
    • Free and longer-lasting Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs).
    • Identification documents for children of asylum seekers.
  • Opuwo:
    • Child labor linked to lack of documentation.
    • Mental illness and the CCPA’s applicability.
    • Clear distinction between “discipline” and “punishment”.
    • Addressing baby-dumping and creating specialized care centers.
    • Expanding the list of individuals required to have PCCs.
    • GIPF’s inheritance requirements conflicting with the CCPA’s “best interest of the child” principle.
• Magistrates’ input: Both locations’ magistrates shared their challenges implementing the CCPA.

Next steps:

• MGEPESW and GRAP plan to meet with GIPF regarding guardianship and inheritance concerns.
• The feedback will be used to draft the CCPA amendments.

Overall, the workshops highlight the need for increased awareness and training on the CCPA, as well as the diverse challenges faced by children in different regions.

We still need to travel to Kavango East and Kharas regions in February.

For further information and publications on this topic please see here.