For the first time in history, children presented in parliament, today, as they stood as advocates for a violence free Jamaica, especially, violence against children.

The special session was organized by UNICEF Jamaica, in collaboration with the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

Speaking in parliament, 7 year old Ngozi explains that, she loves her country but she hates the level of violence that is hurting the bodies, minds and spirits of the Jamaican children.

In his presentation, 10-year-old Keino King, recounted some of the experiences of violence shared by children, in recent town hall sessions led by UNICEF Jamaica.

He read some of what the children wrote.

Pointing to the six accounts he read in parliament today, he notes that, these were only a small representation of the hundreds of experiences shared in under three months.

18 year old, Shanille Hall, who has been a ward of the state since she was eleven years old, offered some recommendations to combat violence against children.

Today’s special session on violence against children, is intended to call for urgent action by the government, to implement the National Plan of Action for an Integrated Response to Children and Violence 2018-2023.

The plan was tabled in parliament earlier this year and was launched today, after the special session.