Critical analysis of factors prohibiting effective implementation of policies related to child protection: a case of Zimbabwe

Abstract

The proper implementation of child protection policies in Zimbabwe is hindered by numerous variables. These include conventional religious and traditional dogmas, political and economic determinants, among others. The impact and influence of these factors have led to undesirable outcomes whereby children are frequently subjected to various sorts of violence, including abuse, rape, and child marriages. The research investigates the persistent failure of child protection policy implementation in Zimbabwe, with particular emphasis on child marriage and child sexual abuse. The study diverted from approaching child protection from a social welfare and legal perspective, but as a complex governance and policy implementation problem shaped by political, economic, institutional, traditional, and religious forces. The government’s unwillingness to implement programmes with a high impact to stop this problem is concerning. This research is inspired by the Rights-Based theoretical approach, which assumes the position that rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) are to apply to all citizens regardless of their situation. Many member states have signed the United Nations Conventions and Procedures, including Zimbabwe, agreeing to ensure that their citizens’ economic, social, cultural, and political rights are met. Thus, the approach holds leaders and decision makers to account for commitments they have made to global human rights mechanisms such as the UDHR, the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). Following the Rights-Based theoretical approach, justice may be sought and promoted by ensuring that basic public services meet minimum standards, governments are held accountable, and above all, the rights of citizens, including those of children, are protected through ensuring effective policy implementation. Literature has shown that, despite varying conceptions, the common denominator within the policy discourse is that public policies emanate from governments, and it is the preserve of a designated ministry or department through its technocratic unit to implement policies under the management of the executive branch of government. The central question, however, is ‘who’ does ‘what’ and with ‘what influence’ in the implementation game and policy decision, and the extent to which one wields autonomy to execute implementation tasks. As such, the research dissected several conventional implementation theories and models, including the top-down, bottom-up, the hybrid approach, and the 7C policy implementation protocol model, in order to understand factors prohibiting effective implementation of policies related to child protection. The research further discussed the political economy theory and the advocacy coalition theory in order to understand the influence of politics, economy, religion, and traditional dogmas on the effective implementation of policies relating to child protection in Zimbabwe.