by Mtheto Lungu from Centre for Youth and Children Affairs (CEYCA)

Effort by the Eye of the Child (EYC) through the Malawi Network Against Child Trafficking (M-nact) are not the only worthwhile examples of lobbying in all its forms.

Obviously, due to their vulnerability, children are the biggest victims and their future is held questionable with growing cases. The 2010 World Cup fever has not spared innocent children.

Thought researches as conducted by EYC and partner organisations of NOVOC, YONECO and ECC fail to pin any cases of external trafficking of children, we believe that with the sophistication of trafficking kingpins and the unwillingness and lack of appreciation for the importance of the Act by some legislators who do not understand its importance breeds more ground for trafficking exploitation of more children in Malawi.

On the sides, the Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC) has also published a number of awareness products with the aim of sensitizing masses on what can be translated as abuse of children rights as far as sex is concerned.

These, as can often be realized in the case of child trafficking, particularly of girls, include rape, defilement, incest, sexual harassment, child marriage, forced prostitution, genital mutilation, traditional and cultural practices such as kusasa fumbi, gwamula, and fisi.

Child trafficking coupled with these abuses leads to withdrawal of children from social and community participation including school, psychological effects, early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDS, and fistula in young mothers, trauma, depression and stress, and even death in extreme cases.

With proper legislation, including the Child Protection Bill, the police, judiciary, NGOs and other actors will be empowered to bring to book and prosecute perpetrators. In the absence of these laws, human rights, GBV, HIV and AIDS coordinating organisations may find it difficult to pressure the police to take action even where a case has been reported to the Police Victim Support Unit (VSU), or where a criminal case of any of the relative abuses has been opened.

It is in the wisdom of the Lobbying and Advocacy project partners to press for swift and acceptable passing of the Trafficking Bill to end the suffering and avert more abuse.