THE Fundacion Educacion Cooperacion (Educo), a global development non-government organization defending the rights of the children advocating for their right to equitable, quality education have recommended the identification of cultural practices which are deemed harmful to children.
In a two-day seminar on covering child’s rights in the Philippines, Sheila Base, resident social worker and Educo Child Protection Specialist explained although there are cultural practices accepted in certain tribes that can be harmful to children, this should be acted upon by informing the tribes on their violations.
“We have this harmful practices and on this harmful practices which may be a culturally accepted behavior, the latter will prevail even if we have a national law, we still have to contextualize and not hit the culture head on,” Base said.
Unsafe cultural practice is any action which diminishes, demeans or disempowers the cultural identity and wellbeing of an individual.
“When harmful practices in terms to child’s rights are considered as harmful practices then we have to act. Take for example nationally about corporal punishment, the government vetoed it but we cannot do anything because it’s part of the harmful practices so these are harmful practices accepted in the community, but in the child’s rights advocacy we are pushing for this to be changed,” Base added.
Base added cultural sensitivity is a set of skills that enables us to learn about and understand people who are different from ourselves, thereby becoming better able to serve them within their own communities.