Adolescence

COUNTRY: Côte d’IvoireViolent conflict and the vulnerability of adolescentsA grandmother cares for hergrandchildren following thedeath of their parents fromAIDS.“Post-conflictprogrammesfor youth havefocused onimproving servicesand providingopportunities forthem to returnto school.“Since civil war broke out in 2002, Côte d’Ivoire hasfaced grave obstacles in its political, social and economicdevelopment. Although a fragile compromisewas reached between the Government and the NewForce rebel movement in 2007, elections planned forNovember 2009 were postponed indefinitely, andUnited Nations and French troops remain in the countryto maintain security. The United Nations Office forthe Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports thatthe country entered the post-conflict phase for thefirst time in 2009, with thousands of internally displacedpersons returning voluntarily to their places oforigin. Still, the peace process is gradual and requiresnational and global commitment.The conflict resulted in horrific gender-based violenceand widespread military conscription, while alsodisrupting education and destroying medical services.The health of civilians, especially children andwomen, has been directly compromised, as illustratedby the resurgence of polio in 2008 and the interruptionin reproductive and maternal and child health caregenerally and in treatment services for those livingwith HIV and AIDS in particular.In such a situation adolescents, who made up23 per cent of the total population of Côte d’Ivoire in2009, have been and remain uniquely vulnerable. Inaddition to military conscription, sexual slavery andforced migration, adolescent girls and boys suffer inother ways that are direct and indirect results of thecivil war. Boys, for example, are subject to involvementin the worst forms of child labour on cocoa plantations,which are one of the country’s most importantsources of revenue; between 1994 and 2003, Côted’Ivoire accounted for 38 per cent of global cocoabean production. While children have long worked onthese farms, and while data on the prevalence of childlabour in the country are difficult to obtain, conflictsover land for farming were in part a catalyst for thewar and have intensified the scramble to find workersfor an industry that is crucial for redevelopment. It isestimated that the majority of child labourers on thesefarms are under 14 years old and come from specificIvorian ethnic groups or are migrants from BurkinaFaso. The most vulnerable are those dislocated by thewar and lacking ties to farmers or local communities.Adolescent girls are also suffering from the effects ofthe war. In some regions of the country – particularlyin the west, where violence was most intense – rapeand other unspeakable acts, including forced incestand cannibalism, have left not only permanent physicalimpairment but also psychological and emotionalscars that will take a long time to heal.Post-conflict programmes for youth have focused onimproving services and providing opportunities foryouth to return to school and to protect themselvesand their communities in a fragile environment.UNICEF, for example, is supporting more than40 School Girl Mothers’ Clubs (CMEFs) to helpadolescent girls stay in school and complete theireducation. A National Action Plan for the implementationof United Nations Security Council Resolution1325 on women, peace and security has also beenput in place, and its first priority is the protection ofwomen and girls from sexual violence.One area of success in post-conflict rehabilitationhas been heightened awareness of HIV prevention,which is particularly important because Côte d’Ivoirehad the highest prevalence in West Africa in 2008. Apartnership between CARE and Population ServicesInternational has targeted soldiers, many of whomlong believed they were too powerful to contract thedisease. However, more work remains to be done,particularly for girls, who lag behind boys in comprehensiveknowledge of HIV and condom use. In 2008,just 18 per cent of girls aged 15 to 24 had comprehensiveknowledge of HIV, compared to 28 per cent oftheir male counterparts, while the prevalence of HIVamong girls was three times higher (2.4 per cent)than among boys (0.8 per cent).See References, page 78.Investing in Adolescents 77