The Directorate General for Judicial and Social Protection (DGPJS) of the Ministry of Justice held a scoping workshop this Wednesday in Dakar. The meeting focused on the process of developing the specifications for the opening, organization, and operation of child protection facilities in Senegal. Supported by the German development agency GIZ through the Strengthening the Rule of Law and Transparency (RETRA) project, it marks a key step in structuring the national child protection system. This scoping workshop paves the way for an ambitious reform aimed at reconciling legal requirements, social responsibility, and collective commitment to better protect children, essential actors in Senegal's future.

 

Presiding over the opening ceremony, Ms. Télico Anna Pène, Deputy Director of the DGPJS (General Directorate of Youth and Sports), noted that over 55% of the Senegalese population is under 21, emphasizing how youth represents both "an asset and a challenge." According to her, the development of a set of specifications will standardize, harmonize, and regulate the conditions for the creation and management of childcare facilities, whether public or private. "This framework will constitute an administrative and regulatory tool guaranteeing the quality, transparency, and regularity of the operation of establishments that care for children," Ms. Pène stated.

She also stressed the participatory dimension of the process: magistrates, specialized educators, community actors, health personnel, technical and financial partners as well as civil society will be involved in the co-construction of the document.

A project supported by GIZ

For Sokhna Touré, technical advisor at the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ), this workshop is part of a broader effort to strengthen the rule of law and social protection, two major pillars of the RETRA project signed in October 2024 between Senegal and the Federal Republic of Germany. "GIZ attaches particular importance to this initial phase of developing the specifications, which will standardize the conditions for opening and operating facilities for children, in response to the proliferation of such structures in Senegal," she stated. The RETRA project aims, in particular, to strengthen the capacities of judicial actors and civil society for better protection of rights, especially those of women and children.

Towards a more protective framework for children

Senegal currently has 138 registered institutions housing children, including 12 public institutions under the supervision of the DGPJS (Directorate General for Youth Protection and Social Cohesion). This future set of specifications will govern their operation and guarantee each child "a protective, educational environment that respects their fundamental rights." For Ms. Teliko, this project is not an end in itself, but the starting point for a structural transformation of the child protection system in Senegal. "Together, we must build a robust institutional framework that guarantees the comprehensive protection of every child living within the national territory," she concluded.