Project details:
Ghana is a signatory to the UNCRC, the UN Alternative Care Guidelines and other international documents for the prevention and protection of children from all forms of violence. This culminated into the passage of the Children’s Act and the Juvenile Justice Act and has led to the development and launching of Child Protection and Family Welfare Policy (CFWP). The CFWP identifies for intervention three main settings where violence and abuse take place against children, which are Community, School and Family. The CFWP also stresses on the importance of community and family based care for all children and the need to strengthen families through social protection interventions to prevent possible family separations.
Based on the CFWP, UNICEF child protection program in collaboration with the Government of Ghana (GOG) has developed a behavioural and social change communication strategy to help reduce the acceptance of social/cultural practises which has negative consequences or damaging effect to children, by creating a critical mass capable of promoting the adoption of standards favourable to the development and wellbeing of children and adolescent in Ghana. A number of activities has already began targeting the community and school strand of the intervention areas however, to ensure behaviour and social change that will culminate in the protection of children at all levels; from national to family. the key activity require us to review and update the social and behavior change communication strategy developed by the Department of Social Welfare, develop SBCC campaign materials to support the importance of Family Based Care (FBC) for children who through orphan hood, abandonment or other cause has been separated from parental care and placed in care institutions or orphanages in Ghana which happens to be among the places where violence and abuse are perpetrated against children and adolescent.
The materials which will be develop will convey the key and supportive messages through TV and Radio talk shows, TV documentaries, Radio and TV Jingles and adverts, newspapers articles, posters, flyers, etc. and support DSW in engaging with media at all levels to disseminate the materials in order to create awareness on the importance of family based care and harm caused by family separation.