Gabon launches national campaign for responsible parenting and child protection

The initiative aims to enhance child protection and strengthen families' educational roles amid growing social challenges. Armande Longo épouse Moulengui, Minister of Social Affairs in charge of Child and Women Protection, emphasized that responsible parenting is a shared duty between parents and public authorities, crucial for societal development. The campaign seeks to educate all social groups on child education, highlighting family, cultural, religious, and republican values.

It also aims to promote understanding of parental responsibilities, boost family educational capacities, prevent risky behaviors in youth, and encourage family dialogue. The Minister stressed the need for collective mobilization, involving public authorities, local communities, community leaders, educators, media, and families. Dr. Marie Reine Chirezi Fabry, UNICEF Resident Representative, noted that responsible parenting is a continuous process, starting during pregnancy and developing through childhood and adolescence with positive, protective, and inclusive educational practices.

This campaign addresses a critical situation in Gabon, where 25.6% of children do not live with their parents, and hundreds of cases of violence occur annually in family and school settings. These issues stem from economic insecurity, family confl