A recent study conducted by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children Care to measure the readiness of institutions concerned with child protection in the UAE and its ability to prevent being abused, revealed that these institutions obtained a score of 55.6 out of 100 according to a global standard system approved as an effective tool in evaluating government institutions, NGOs and societies, In terms of their ability and effectiveness of their devices in implementing measures to prevent child abuse and abuse.
The past few days had witnessed the torture of a child at the hands of her mother, which was offset by dissatisfaction at the grassroots and official levels in the country, and the relevant authorities, upon their knowledge of the situation, took the necessary measures to save the girl child and stop her being harmed.
And «Emirates Today» obtained an electronic copy of the summary of the results of the study conducted by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, with the aim of determining the level of capabilities of the relevant institutions in the country, according to a global standard known as
Readiness Assessment for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment (RAP-CM), which relies on 10 elements to assess the level of competence of stakeholders in the field in question.
The study was conducted on a sample of 45 governmental and non-governmental institutions inside the country, which has a significant impact and an important role in the field of child protection and prevention of abuse.
The study concluded that the UAE needs the cadres and energies of specialists and volunteers in the field, in order to serve a better and more efficient application of plans and programs to be implemented in the field of preventing child abuse and abuse.
The results of the study showed the need to increase the volume of budgets required in the same field, as well as the need to work to unify and coordinate all efforts made by the institutions concerned and work to integrate them, in the field of preventing child abuse and abuse.
The rate of institutions is weak in a number of elements, the most prominent of which is the availability of human and technical cadres capable of implementing programs and procedures to prevent child abuse, as well as an element that provides data, studies and scientific research in the field of protection and the prevention of child abuse.
Among the most important elements and areas that make up the scale used by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children Care is the issue of issuing legislation, laws and policies required to prevent child abuse and abuse, in which institutions in the UAE obtained the highest number compared to the rest of the elements, where it recorded 8.94 out of 10, followed by the availability of sources The information and communication channels required by the institutions, which scored 7.61 out of 10, while the component related to the ability to define the problem ranked third in terms of the highest scores, where the institutions got 6.33 out of 10.
The scale is applied with the aim of arriving at the definition of the main gaps in the system of work of the institutions concerned, and defining plans for their solution. It also contributes to defining a benchmark for the institutions to assess the extent of their development and progress towards a more prepared and effective protection system. The scale is also considered a scientific tool in defining concepts and plans in the field of preventing child abuse, as well as setting the required plans to ensure the readiness of the institutions concerned to be available to decision makers and policymakers.
Dubai Foundation for Women and Children
Dubai Foundation for Women and Children Welfare is the first non-profit shelter and humanitarian care facility authorized in the United Arab Emirates to care for women and children victims of domestic violence, victims of child abuse and victims of trafficking in human beings. It was established in late 2007 to provide victims with shelter and protection services, in addition to immediate support, in line with international human rights instruments.
The Foundation provides all its services to victims of violence free of charge, and includes care and rehabilitation services, accommodation, legal and educational services, in addition to medical care and rehabilitation for the labor market.
The Foundation receives support, either through the provision of financial assistance through the Emirates Charities portal www.ecp.ae, or by contributing to spreading awareness of violence issues towards women and children, through the available means of communication and channels.