Concerned about children’s well-being, the Mauritanian state continues to make efforts to protect children from various forms of abuse and neglect. The country has improved its legal and institutional framework in this area by signing the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, enacting laws, and adopting child protection plans and strategies (UNICEF, 2018).
These measures have emphasized the paramount importance of children’s well-being and the essential role of the family in their protection (Sahara Media, 2019), leading to a reduction in child labor and achieving a gross enrollment rate of 100% in primary education. In the health sector, initiatives have been implemented to strengthen maternal and neonatal health (United Nations, 2018). Administratively, the establishment of the Children’s Parliament and municipal councils for children has allowed children to freely express their concerns (Islamic Republic of Mauritania, 2022).
Despite these achievements, cases of abuse and neglect of children’s rights are still observed. In 2017, four out of ten children were not registered with civil status, more than half of girls aged 0-14 had undergone genital mutilation, and over a third of women aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18. In the same year, eight out of ten children under 14 experienced corporal punishment, and more than 30% of children aged 5-17 worked in undesirable conditions (UNICEF, 2018). Additionally, the nutritional status of children under five years old indicates that a quarter of this group suffers from low birth weight (UNICEF, 2017).
This dispatch reports on a special survey module included in the Afrobarometer Round 9 (2021/2023) questionnaire to explore Mauritanians’ experiences and perceptions regarding the use of physical force in child-rearing, the frequency of child abuse and neglect, the existence of support for vulnerable children, and the government’s performance in protecting children’s rights.
According to the results, most Mauritanians justify the use of physical force to discipline children but believe that this is not common in their community. A majority of respondents say that cases of children not attending school are frequent in their community, but it is not common for children to be victims of violence, mistreated, or neglected.
Overall, the majority of respondents state that there are sources of help and support for vulnerable children in their community. However, very few are satisfied with the government’s efforts to protect children’s rights.
