Today 16 June 2025, we join the rest of progressive global society in commemorating and celebrating the Day of the African Child.
The Day of the African Child commemorates and celebrates the courageous 1976 Soweto Uprising, where Black South African students protested the imposition of apartheid-era education policies and were met with brutal state violence.
The day has evolved beyond its historical roots to become a continental and global call to action given the price that children continue to pay in an unfair and unjust world with rising systemic threats to children and impunity for perpetrators.
Challenges Facing African Children
In a time of global political realignments, Africa's children are disproportionately affected by worsening inequalities, broken education systems, and the failure of governance to prioritize inclusive development. The scourge of illicit financial flows, enabled by global corporations and weak accountability, drains billions of dollars from African economies—robbing future generations of quality education, health care, and opportunities.
The escalating climate crisis threatens food security, displaces communities, and deepens child vulnerability—despite Africa contributing the least to global emissions.
Compounding this is the growing power of non-state actors, including economic actors that ignore Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles with impunity given the weaknesses in our judicial systems to appreciate their role in public interest litigation involving environmental degradation to focus on substance as opposed to forms of pleadings and court petitions.
The extractive and exploitative practices of unscrupulous businesses, ranging from land grabs to labour and environmental abuses and violations—undermine child rights and erode social protections.
Call to Action
In this context, the Day of the African Child is not only a moment of remembrance, but a strategic rallying point for justice: to demand that states and global actors center the rights, dignity, and futures of African children in policymaking, investment, and accountability frameworks.
TBLI Public Law Section - Child Rights Litigation Unit
Arnold Tsunga
Jeremiah Bamu
African Union
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
AfricanDefenders (Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network)