PRESS RELEASE

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Katie Taft

Media and Communications Manager

The African Child Policy Forum

Tele: 251-911-35-84-92

[email protected]

The African Child Policy Forum Announces its 2006 International Policy
Conference: Violence Against Girls in Africa

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA February 20, 2006 – In South Africa, a child is
raped every 15 minutes. Three million girls suffer genital mutilation
every year in Africa. In Botswana, girls under the age of 14 are twice
as likely as boys to contract HIV…the list could go on and on.

The African Child Policy Forum will hold its 2006 International Policy
Conference on the African Child: Violence Against Girls in Africa on
May 11 and 12 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia. Speakers from the African Union, the UN Committee on the
Rights of the Child and members from Pan-African policy makers will
join women's-rights and child-rights organisations, as well as child
survivors of violence, in this major two-day conference.

"The widespread problem of violence is a hidden one in Africa because
of the very nature of the violence being committed," says Dr. Assefa
Bequele, Executive Director of the African Child Policy Forum. "The
work of the Forum leading up to the conference, and bringing together
organisations, governments and children at the conference, will create
dialogue and in-turn, initiate real actions that cast a spotlight on
this problem."

The objective of the conference is to contribute to the ongoing
international effort to effect attitudinal and policy changes toward
violence against girls, by providing a platform for like-minded
organisations to work together and initiate an Africa-wide movement
against all forms of violence. The conference will ensure that African
views and positions, especially regarding girls, are reflected in
actions and resolutions taken by the African Union and the United
Nations. The conference will address the complex problem of violence
against girls in Africa and feature a powerful and diverse group of
policy makers, human rights activists, prominent Africans, African
youth and international journalists.

Just a few of the presenters who have been invited to participate in
the conference: H. E. Joaquim Chissano, Former Head of State of
Mozambique; Prof. Paulo Pinheiro, the Secretary-General's Independent
Expert on Violence against Children; Dr. Yakin Erturk, UN Special
Rapparteur on Violence against Women; Ambassador Salamata Sawadogo,
Chair, AU Commission on Human Rights and People's Rights; Mr. Jean
Baptiste Zoungrana, Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on
the Rights and Welfare of the Child; and Prof. Jaap Doek, Chair, of
the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

A forthcoming announcement by The African Child Policy Forum will
confirm the list of prestigious speakers.

This conference has elicited considerable interest. The conference is
largely funded by Plan International and is being organised in
partnership with the AU, UNECA, UNICEF, UNFPA, and Save the Children
Group.

Prior to the conference, the Forum will produce a poll-based report on
current perceptions and experiences of violence against girls in
Africa. The outcome of the conference will be a declaration to stop
violence against girls in Africa that will be submitted to the United
Nations General Assembly and used as a vehicle for campaigning African
governments to develop effective policies and programmes to address
the problem.

For the most recent schedule of presenters and topics, please visit:
http://www.africanchildforum.org/events.

ABOUT THE AFRICAN CHILD POLICY FORUM

The African Child Policy Forum is an independent, pan-African advocacy
organisation working for the realisation of children's rights. Founded
in 2003, the Forum is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its
mission is to contribute towards the development and implementation of
effective laws and policies to put African children on the public
agenda. To this end, it will provide support where the political will
exists and exert pressure where it is absent. The rights and welfare
of children are at the heart of our work, in our programmes and our
projects. Programmes such as The Children's Legal Protection Centre,
which provides protection and free legal support to abused children,
children in high risk situations and those in conflict with the law,
is just one example of the many programmes the Forum provides.

The Forum has no political or religious affiliations. While the Forum
is cognizant of world thinking and development, it has an
African-driven and children-driven agenda. The organisation is on the
front lines as it deals with the profound issues affecting the
children of Africa. The Forum's Executive Director is Assefa Bequele,
Ph.D., former Special Representative of International Labour
Organisation of the United Nations and a member of the African
Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

For more information: www.africanchildform.org