In 1991, the OAU instituted the Day of the African Child to commemorate the student uprising, as well as to call for introspection and commitment towards addressing the numerous challenges facing children across the continent.
This year’s theme, ‘Access to a Child-Friendly Justice System in Africa,’ underscores the importance of a justice system that guarantees children dignified, expeditious and fair processes of justice.
On June 16, 1976, a group of about 10,000 children took to the streets of Soweto in protest of their poor quality of education, demanding to learn in their language. More than a 100 people died in that protest, dubbed the Soweto Uprising, as the children marched in a column more than half a mile long for their rights.
In 1991, the OAU instituted the Day of the African Child to commemorate the student uprising, as well as to call for introspection and commitment towards addressing the numerous challenges facing children across the continent.
