ESSSWA’s South West Chapter in cooperation with Arbaminch University’s Sociology and Social Anthropology Department  has organized a one day symposium on child abuse issues                   (09 December 2016). Child neglect and trafficking being one of the rampant child abuse manifestations in the area, the symposium was attended by more than 120 participants representing key government stakeholders, the justice system, police NGO practitioners and graduate class students from Sociology and Social Anthropology Department of Arbaminch University.

As the symposium was considered to be part of public Universities’ objective of reaching and serving communities, it was opened by the V/President of Arbaminch University, Yechale Kebede (PhD). This event was instrumental in raising and debating hot and live issues on the worst forms of child abuse in the area and paved the way for future coordinated action by avoiding fragmented efforts, which have rather perpetuated the problem. The first presentation on guiding principles of child protection was made by the Executive Director of ESSSWA who was invited to share ESSSWA’s contribution in promoting child protection and children’s best interests. This was followed by a research finding entitled: “the situation of child trafficking in Gamo highlands’’. One of the findings of this research shows that child trafficking in the area is on the increase and different push and pull factors such as poverty, child neglect and city lure, peer influence, respectively, contribute for this phenomenon. This has also led to hot debate between government stakeholders and researchers in that the former claimed the decreasing trend and the latter cited different facts and evidences to show the problem is steadily increasing.

The other interesting presentation was made by an expert from Zonal Women and Children’s Affairs Office. The presenter confirmed that the problem is so intricate and complex mainly because child trafficking is conducted illicitly. Besides, since families, having the ability or not, are not sending their children to school, they are always vulnerable to trafficking.

Finally, the symposium was closed by confirming to take affirmative action in that coordinated and synergized efforts of key government actors, Arbaminch University’s Sociology and Social Anthropology Department, researchers and practitioners should head towards solving the root causes of all forms of child abuse.