Bulawayo, Zimbabwe — The Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe (FAWEZI) participated in the National Child Protection Conference held in Bulawayo, joining key stakeholders from across the child protection sector to reflect on progress, share lessons and identify priorities for strengthening systems that protect children and promote their well-being.

The conference provided an important platform for government representatives, child protection practitioners, development partners and other stakeholders to assess the progress made in safeguarding children, reflect on implementation experiences and explore emerging challenges requiring coordinated, responsive and sustainable action.

Discussions centred on lessons from previous National Action Plans for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, the changing landscape of child protection, the growing importance of digital safety and the need to strengthen the workforce responsible for delivering child protection services.

Building on Lessons from Previous National Action Plans
Reflecting on previous National Action Plans for Orphans and Vulnerable Children was a key component of the conference. These reflections provided an opportunity to consider achievements, identify gaps and draw practical lessons to inform future child protection planning and implementation.

Sustaining progress requires more than the development of policies and action plans. It calls for effective implementation, adequate resourcing, strong coordination among stakeholders and mechanisms that ensure children and their families can access appropriate support when they need it.

The discussions reinforced the importance of building on existing interventions while adapting approaches to respond to the evolving needs of children, particularly those experiencing vulnerability, exclusion or barriers to essential services.

Responding to Emerging Digital Child Protection Risks
As children increasingly interact with digital platforms and online environments, protecting them requires approaches that extend beyond traditional child protection mechanisms.

The conference highlighted digital child protection as an emerging area of concern, emphasising the need to strengthen awareness, prevention and response mechanisms to address risks children may encounter online.

Creating safer environments for children requires collaboration among families, schools, communities, government institutions and other relevant stakeholders. Equipping children with the knowledge and skills to navigate digital spaces safely, while ensuring that appropriate safeguarding mechanisms are in place, is essential to protecting their rights and well-being.

For organisations working to advance children’s rights and equitable access to education, these discussions underscore the importance of ensuring that learning environments are safe, inclusive and responsive to the realities children face both online and offline.

Strengthening Policies and the Child Protection Workforce
Effective child protection depends on the strength of the systems and people responsible for translating policies into meaningful action.

Participants explored the importance of responsive policies and a resilient child protection workforce capable of addressing both longstanding and emerging risks. This includes strengthening the capacity of practitioners, improving coordination across sectors and ensuring that child protection responses remain relevant to the needs of children and their communities.

Sustained investment in human resources, institutional capacity and service delivery is critical to ensuring that child protection systems can prevent harm, respond effectively to cases of abuse and exploitation, and provide appropriate support to children who need it.

The conference provided an opportunity for stakeholders to reflect on how policy commitments can be translated into practical interventions that strengthen protection at national and community levels.

Regional Collaboration for Stronger Child Protection Systems
Experiences shared by regional counterparts, including Zambia, added an important dimension to the discussions. These perspectives highlighted the value of learning across countries, exchanging practical experiences and identifying approaches that can inform national child protection priorities.

Child protection challenges often require responses that draw on shared knowledge, collective commitment and partnerships across institutions and sectors. Regional collaboration creates opportunities to learn from different implementation experiences, strengthen existing approaches and build more effective responses to the risks facing children.

Such exchanges also reinforce the importance of sustained political will, adequate investment and coordinated action in ensuring that child protection systems remain responsive and resilient.

Advancing a Future Where Every Child Can Thrive
FAWEZI’s participation in the National Child Protection Conference reflects the importance of engaging in national conversations that shape policies, systems and interventions affecting children and young people’s safety, well-being and opportunities.

Protecting children is a shared responsibility that requires coordinated action across government, civil society, communities, families and development partners. It also requires a commitment to ensuring that children’s rights are upheld and that those facing the greatest barriers are not left behind.

As stakeholders reflect on the outcomes of the conference and the priorities emerging from the discussions, the need for sustained collaboration, effective policies and investment in a capable child protection workforce remains clear.

Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment, with the protection and opportunities needed to learn, develop and thrive. Strengthening child protection systems is therefore not only an institutional responsibility but a collective commitment to securing a better future for all children.