Story of change
A child-protection conference challenges harmful norms
Churches, government, civil society, young leaders and communities came together to strengthen protection for children.
VNZ convened a Child Protection Conference at the Harare International Conference Centre to examine cultural and social norms affecting children and strengthen collaboration across churches, government, civil society and communities.\n\nParticipants addressed child marriage, substance misuse, bullying, mental-health neglect and other risks. Young leaders called for communities to speak up, empower children to understand their rights and build safer reporting systems.\n\nThe conference reinforced the role of families, faith leaders, schools and public systems in replacing harmful practices with positive parenting, safeguarding, access to support and meaningful youth participation.
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