The Zambian government has disclosed that notable progress has been made towards ending corporal punishment of children in the country.

Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Doreen Mwamba has explained that government is actively implementing several key interventions to operationalize the abolishment of corporal punishment in Zambia.

She said this in a presentation done on her behalf by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ms. Angela Kawandami during a high-level learning exchange on prohibiting and eliminating violent punishment of children at the ongoing 1st Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children in Bogota, Colombia.

Recognizing that corporal punishment is linked to a range of negative outcomes for children across countries and cultures, including physical and mental ill-health, socio-emotional development, poor educational outcomes, increased aggression and perpetration of violence, Ms. Mwamba, therefore assured that Zambia remains committed to ending corporal punishment in all settings.

Ms. Mwamba highlighted that Zambia began the journey of abolishing corporal punishment in 2011 through the Education Act which abolished corporal punishment in schools which was followed by robust interventions which targeted children, teachers, parents and communities.

This has been further enhanced by the enactment of the Children’s Code Act of 2022 which abolished corporal punishment in all settings, including schools, families, child reformatory homes, and childcare facilities among others.