Research, Monitoring and Documentation

Under this program, the CRADLE is currently undertaking the following activities: The Resource Centre,The Gender Parity and Access to Education Study and The UN Study on Violence Against Children

• Monitoring Trends in Child Sexual Abuse The CRADLE has been monitoring trends relating to child sexual abuse since the year 2002 when it published the inaugural child sexual violence monitoring publication “Who will Save the Children?” The CRADLE monitors cases of child sexual abuse through two methods: (1) Through a systematic recording and analysis of trends from the leading local dailies. (2) Through monitoring trends of cases reported to the organization. The publications in the previous years under this series are as follows:
  • 1999-2002 Who will Save the Children ?
  • 2003 How Safe is Your Child?
  • 2004 Speaking the Unspeakable.
  • 2005 Defilement Trends 2005.
  • 2006 Robbing the Cradle
• Research on Child Rights The CRADLE has undertaken several researches on child rights including a research on Gender-Parity in Education; Hidden Costs in the Free Primary Education Policy; Trafficking in Persons; Orphans and Vulnerable Children, amongst others.
• International Child Rights Project Under this project, the organization seeks to hold the government accountable to its international treaty obligations and further works towards influencing international norm-setting on child rights. Activities undertaken have included:
  • Contributing to the Development of International Norms on Child rights The UN Study on Violence Against Children: The former Secretary General of the UN, Koffi Annan, commissioned a global study on Violence against children to determine amongst others, the causes and effects of violence against children. The CRADLE took a leading role nationally and regionally in the process and was part of the International NGO Steering Committee on the Study. The CRADLE was also part of the regional and national steering committee on the study and was contracted to coordinate and finalize the government questionnaire in Kenya. The CRADLE took a leading role in the coordination of the National Consultation on the Study where children came up with a declaration on violence against children. The CRADLE also took part in regional consultative meeting in South Africa and international meetings in regard to the same. UN Special Session on Children: The CRADLE participated in the preparatory committee meetings for the UNGASS on Children in New York and sent a delegation of 3 to the Special Session, one of whom was a child. Beijing + 5 and 10: The CRADLE has also been actively involved in the follow up to the Beijing Platform for action through national, regional and international consultations and follow ups including attendance at the + 5 and 10 meetings in New York. The CRADLE has also done a write up on the country’s compliance with certain key provisions relating to the girl-child.
  • Monitoring Compliance with International Treaty Obligations Under this project, The CRADLE ensures the government meets its international obligations by monitoring compliance with the treaties to which Kenya is a party and further by lobbying for ratification of treaties of relevance that have not been ratified by the country. Reporting under the Convention on the Rights of the Child: The CRADLE was part of the NGO Coalition that sent a report to the CRC Committee on Kenya’s first report to the committee. The CRADLE also worked with the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) in the production and submission of a report with specific emphasis on torture. The CRADLE was also involved in the 2nd reporting to the CRC and was part of an NGO delegation to Geneva that met the committee in 2006 and further sent representation during the presentation by the government to the Committee in 2007 where the organization also had occasion to interact with the committee members on pertinent issues in the country. Reporting to the Human Rights Committee on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: The CRADLE working with the World Organization against Torture, OMCT; ICJ (K) and others, developed a report to the Human Rights Committee on the implementation of the international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The CRADLE had occasion to present to the committee in New York in 2006 on issues of child rights. Reporting to the Human Rights Committee on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: The CRADLE was also part of the team that worked on the preparation of ICESCR Periodic Report to the UN in the year 2005.
  • National Compliance Initiatives Government of Kenya Advisory Consultative Committee on International Human Rights Obligations: The CRADLE’s director was in 2004 appointed and gazetted as a member of the Government of Kenya Advisory Consultative Committee on International Human Rights Obligations under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, whose primary role is to advice the government on its treaty obligations including reporting and domestication obligations. Task Force on the National Plan of Action on Human Rights: The CRADLE was also nominated as a member of the Task Force to develop a National Policy and Action Plan on Human Rights in Kenya by Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the Ministry of Justice in 2005 and has been working with other stakeholders towards this process.
  • International Exchange Project This project works towards sharing of good practices and capacity-building both for The CRADLE and for visiting individuals. The CRADLE has also sent its staff to exchange visits with other institutions. Gibert Onyango, a Legal Officer was in 2005 attached to Tanganyika Law Society and also visited other organizations such as NOLA etc.
• Information and Resource Centre Documentation and Resource Centre The CRADLE runs an information and resource center that stocks materials from The CRADLE and from other centers nationally and internationally. The centre is visited by students, researchers and professionals form other NGOs. The CRADLE is working towards an electronic information centre and towards a child-friendly information centre. Book fairs In collaboration with SALAR University of Nairobi law students, the organization has over the years held book fairs at the Law School and at the Annual Agricultural Show to showcase materials on child rights to students and the public and to give insight on issues of child rights.
• Publications
  The CRADLE runs several publications and in particular under the following heads:
  1. (1) Juvenile Justice Quarterlies;
  2. (2) Juvenile Justice Journal;
  3. (3) Info-packs (Handbooks and Media Dockets);
  4. (4) Position Papers.
  5. (5) Training Materials.
  6. (6) General Publications on Child Rights.
  7. (7) Child-Friendly Publications.

Juvenile Justice Quarterlies

The JJQ is a quarterly magazine that aims at providing trends in Juvenile Justice within the quarter and targets pro bono lawyers, policy makers, legislators and the general public. An example of the production is as follows: Volume 1 Issue 4 containing a case of SM ( a juvenile charged with murder); the Committee on the CRC Reporting Sessions; the 5th Meeting of Committee of Experts on the African Child; Children’s Gains in the Draft Constitution etc. Volume 2 Issue 1 had a series of issues on the Commission on the Status of Women; The Death Penalty in the USA in regards to the CRC; Swaziland court for Child Victims; Commission on Human Rights; Ugandan Children’s Perception of Violence; UN Special Session on Women and Beijing +10 and Kenya State Reporting on ICCPR etc.

Juvenile Justice Journal

The Juvenile Justice Journal is an annual publication on the trends in Juvenile Justice in Kenya and elsewhere in the world. Past issues have focused on issues such as legal aid; the age of criminal responsibility; child-friendly judicial system; amongst others.

Position Papers

The CRADLE has developed several position papers in the past including the following:
• The ‘Age of Criminal Responsibility’ Erica Neiglick, a lawyer from Sweden visiting under the ICJ Program.
• ‘Abortion in Kenya’ submitted by Moses Otsieno, a volunteer lawyer.
• ‘Curbing Sexual Offences by Chemical Castration’ by Claire Houston, Legal researcher visiting from Canada.
• ‘Monitoring International Instruments vis a vis Gender Parity in Kenya’ by Janice Ogonji, a lawyer under the Research, Monitoring and Documentation Program.

Training Materials

The CRADLE has developed training materials in areas such as:
• - Public interest lawyering;
• - Child Rights;
• - Sexual Abuse;
• - Trafficking in Persons.

General Publications on Child Rights

There are general publications on child rights covering areas such as:
• - Constitutional review process;
• - Free Primary education;
• - Child sexual abuse.

Child-Friendly Publications

These include:
• - A Child-Friendly Version of the Children Act;
• - Haki Zetu;
• - Letter Link Magazine; and
• - Anti-Trafficking Comics.