Investment in public services is an imperative for the advancement of children’s rights in Africa.

GI-ESCR is taking part in a side event during the session of the 19th ACERWC CSO FORUM to raise awarness and reclaim public services for the advancement of Children´s rights in Africa.

In the last four decades, following structural adjustment reforms and the multi-faceted neo-liberal reordering of African countries towards market economies, promoted by a new aid architecture that devalued investment in public services, there has been a gradual weakening of public services across the continent. Many African countries, to date, struggle with weak and dysfunctional public service systems in key sectors like education, health, clean and safe water, among others.

Underinvestment in public services and the rapid unregulated expansion of private actors risks undermining human rights obligations and aggravating inequality and exclusion with a growing discriminatory gap, especially for children. Children from poor backgrounds - who are unable to pay for these services and for whom the public system is, frequently the first, and in many instances the only, point of assistance - are often left behind. States are gradually abdicating their responsibility to provide essential public services like health and education.