KIGALI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda on Wednesday joined the rest of the world in marking the World Children's Day with a call to end child sexual abuse, which is greatly concerned in Rwanda.
"Child sexual abuse, especially the girl child and teenage pregnancy, is of great concern in our country. We are calling upon all Rwandans to respect the rights and dignity of our children," said Rwandan minister of gender and family promotion Solina Nyirahabimana at the celebrations to mark World Children's Day in the capital Kigali.
In Rwanda, children rights have been trampled upon through sexual abuse, child labor and other forms of mistreatment, and teenage girls have dropped from schools because of pregnancy, said Nyirahabimana.
Children's rights voices should be heard through various platforms and forums within their communities to end all forms of violence against them, said Rajat Madhok, Chief of Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships at UNICEF Rwanda.
The Rwandan government is working to end violence against children by establishing child protection committees, and is fighting to end child sexual abuse and teen pregnancies through advocacy and community programs, she said.
According to the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2014-2015, teen pregnancies rose from 6.3 percent in 2010 to 7.3 percent in 2015.
