Country | Cabo Verde |
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Optional protocol | on the involvement of children in armed conflict, on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography |
Safety | |
Corporal punishment | Corporal Punishment is prohibited. |
Overview of the child rights situation | The report from Cabo Verde shows that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has already been implemented to a relatively large extent in some areas, such as health. On the other hand, girls in particular are exposed to violence and sexual abuse. The report covers many areas, but disaggregated data is lacking for some, such as mental health. Poverty is another problem, with nearly half of families in rural areas and a third in urban areas living below the absolute poverty line. |
Female genital mutilation and reproductive rights | The Committee is seriously concerned about the extent of child sexual abuse, which was the most reported sexual crime during the 2016/17 judicial year, and the fact that offenders are usually family members or known to the family and that child sexual abuse also takes place in schools. Also concerning is the lack of a prohibition of the use of children between the ages of 16 and 18 for prostitution or pornographic purposes. The Committee is further concerned about gender-based violence against girls and women, including in the domestic sphere, and the negative impact that this form of violence has on children’s well-being and development. The Committee is also concerned about the high number of pregnancies among girls and the discrepancy in access to sexual and reproductive health services between urban and rural areas. |
Discrimination | |
Situation of children with disabilities | The Committee welcomes the measures taken by the State party to promote the rights of children with disabilities, including the establishment of the Centre for Special Education and Educational Inclusion within the Ministry of Education and the integration of children with disabilities through sports. The Committee, inter alia, recommends that the State party organize the collection of data on children with disabilities and develop an efficient system for the early identification of disability, which is necessary for putting in place appropriate policies and programmes for children with disabilities. Also, Cabo Verde should ensure that children with disabilities have access to health care, including early detection and intervention programmes. |
Situation of asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children | The Committee is concerned about the situation of children from migrant communities, mainly from West African countries, regarding birth registration, access to nationality, education and health, and vulnerability to exploitation and maltreatment, particularly for unaccompanied children and those whose parents are in an irregular migrant situation. To improve the situation for children from migrant communities, the Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to identify and provide support to children in situations of migration, ensuring their access to adequate services, with particular attention to the islands of Santiago, Sal and Boa Vista. |
Education | |
Free kindergarten | Not clear |
Free primary and secondary school | Not clear |
Digital possibilities | The Committee appreciates that access to appropriate information is guaranteed in the Statute of the Child and Adolescent but is concerned about the application of the right in practice, including in relation to the Internet. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen awareness programmes for children, as well as parents and teachers, on safety on the Internet. |
Health | |
physical health | The Committee welcomes the allocation of public resources to the health sector and the significant reduction in the child and maternal mortality rates. However, the Committee is concerned about health issues affecting young children, such as perinatal infections. To guarantee every child the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee recommends that the State party maintain continued and sustained efforts to address the main health issues affecting young children, such as perinatal infections, acute respiratory infection, tuberculosis, diarrhoeal diseases, goitre and poliomyelitis, and provide quality care to mothers and new-borns, paying attention to all islands. Concerning adolescent health, the Committee notes the training, education and awareness-raising activities to prevent the use of harmful drugs by children but remains concerned about their use by adolescents, with some starting to use drugs before the age of 15. The Committee therefore recommends to strengthen Cabo Verde’s efforts to prevent and address the harmful use of drugs by children. |
Relation to other countries | |
mental health | The Committee is concerned about the lack of information on children’s mental health and insufficient attention to the incidence of suicide among children during adolescence. |
Impacts of climate change | The Committee is concerned about the lack of information on the impact of climate change on the rights of the child, given that the State party is already experiencing a shortage of freshwater, an increase in sea level, changes in rainfall patterns, desertification and an increase in temperatures. |
Business sector | The Committee is seriously concerned about the high number of children working and the fact that most of them are engaged in hazardous activities, such as agriculture, fisheries and domestic work, particularly in the rural areas, and the lack of information on monitoring and law enforcement activities to combat child labour and measures to assist child victims, as well as the lack of updated data. |
Situation of juvenile justice | The Committee is concerned about complaints of police brutality against children, particularly children in street situations, as a form of extrajudicial punishment, and the absence of measures to duly record and investigate such complaints, prosecute and sanction perpetrators and provide redress to child victims. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that children aged between 16 and 18 years are treated as children and not adults in judicial proceedings and increase the age for the application of socio-educational measures. Cabo Verde should also ensure the provision of legal aid to children in conflict with the law at an early stage of the procedure and throughout the legal proceedings and ensure children’s access to confidential and child-friendly complaint mechanisms. |
Specific observations | The Committee welcomes the State party’s efforts resulting in almost universal birth registration but is concerned about children not yet registered and the difference in the registration rate between rural and urban areas. The Committee is also concerned about stateless children in the State party. Furthermore, the Committee is concerned about the prevalence of discrimination against girls rooted in patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes concerning the roles of women and men. The Committee urges the State party to strengthen its measures to promote equality among girls and boys. |
Additional background | Concluding observations on the second periodic report released on 27 June 2019. |
Last Updated (date) | 28th of February, 2022 |