KIGALI - The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF), has launched a one-month national family campaign  aimed  at raising awareness among families on the need to continue improving  their lives and living conditions.

The campaign runs from September 24 to October 29, 2011.

As part of the events organised during the campaign, MIGEPROF in conjunction with UNICEF and other partners, will hold a two-day conference on violence against children.

The conference is expected to be opened by First Lady Jeannette Kagame on October 3.

During a press conference held on Thursday, the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Aloisea Inyumba, said that participants in the conference will discuss the nature and scale of violence against children. 

"Violence against children is a challenge globally. The government of Rwanda is strongly committed to the protection of children and works continuously on multiple levels to prevent and respond to violence. But there is always room for improvement,” Inyumba explained.

Representatives of national and international child protection organisations will discuss issues related to violence, especially its root cause and its impact on children.

Other issues due for discussion include social norms impacting violence against children, discipline and positive parenting and abuse through child labour.

The recommendations from the conference will contribute to the national vision to scale up current initiatives on prevention and response to violence against children.

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